Overcoming the Odds
by N.V.9
Summary: Life is a bully that no one can stand up to and Naruto knows this all too well.
1. Chapter 1

**1**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Life was nothing but a bully. It was just a giant overgrown child that felt the need to abuse those smaller than it. It enjoyed the pleasure it recieved as its target was left in tears, begging for it to move on to its next victim. But like all bullies, life wouldn't stop until it was done with you. Until it took everything you had.

Life was the cruelest tormenter and Naruto knew this all too well. He was only six when life decided to pick on him and his family. Before that, he was happy. He had four happy older brothers: Yahiko, or Pain as his dad dubbed him as a child, Nagato, Kyuubi, and Deidara. He was the youngest of the lot and would forever more be the baby of the bunch. They may not have had a lot of money but they were content with what they did have. His dad was the football coach at the highschool and his mom was a teacher.

His brothers all had plans and all of their plans were going to take their family somewhere. All of them planned to give their parents a bigger place to live instead of the small three bedroom house.

Pain was going to be a traveler. He was going to take pictures of every place for magazines and anyone else that wanted to buy them. He was one of the best photographers that Naruto knew of. In his room, he had pictures upon pictures taped all over the walls. Sometimes Naruto would go in there to find more and watch as Pain worked on his camera or the pictures themselves. He'd love to watch and hear stories that Pain made up on the spot for each picture taken.

Nagato was going be a writer. He was going to be known throughout the world as the best. He was going to sell books in every language he could find. Nagato wrote all the time. He'd wake up and start writing before the idea went away. He'd write at breakfast in a notebook that was constantly changing as it was filled and replaced, as each was filled with ideas and little stories. He had a shelf in the closet of his room, that he shared with Pain, filled with notebooks. To Nagato, writing was an escape from the world. It was his own creation. Nagato always told Naruto that he wrote simply because he had too much too say and not enough words to say them in.

Kyuubi was going to be in the NFL. He was going to be the guy that everyone else wanted to be. He was going to have more fans then the others combined and he was going to own a building filled with condos so that everyone in his family could have one. Naruto remembered Kyuubi telling him that he also wanted to be in the NFL so he could marry a cheerleader and adopt Naruto as his son when he was married, but that was only for Naruto's ears. For everyone elses, Kyuubi wanted people to cheer as he tackled another player or as he caught the ball. He wanted people to cheer as he appeared before them. With their dad's help, he was already the best in his middle school. On his side of the room, that he shared with Deidara, he had posters of players he idolized and planned to out do. He'd be the guy his idols idolized.

Deidara wanted to be an artist. Right where his side of the room collided with Kyuubi's, were paintings and drawings that he had created. He was always covered in paint or ink. He drew little things, that no one seemed to see, to bigger and rugged things, that no one found the appeal to until he drew it. Deidara had a way to make everything beautiful. In the living room, there was a giant frame of a painting of their family. Naruto liked to be Deidara's model. He liked being posed and seeing the result of his efforts in Deidara's work. He felt important to know that a lot of Deidara's drawings were of him.

Naruto had a plan too. He planned to have fun for the rest of his life and to cheer on his brothers as their dreams came true. He planned to one day follow in his dad's footsteps, becoming a football coach, and marry his mom when he was old enough. He planned to eat candy all the time and he planned to one day have a dog. At six he really didn't see beyond his small town and his brothers dreams of the future. To him, he liked how everything was. He loved it. Life was perfect and he was happy.

But happiness never lasted forever. Months before he would have been seven, life threw them a curve ball and they failed to catch it. His mom passed away as she was coming home from work. She died seconds before she made it to the hospital with her family unaware until a policeman came to their door. They had rushed to the hospital but even their presence couldn't wake her. The night she was buried, his dad picked up the bottle and never put it down.

Pain was forced to drop out of highschool at only sixteen to keep their family afloat. Taking any job he could to keep them clothed and fed. He became their dad, when Minato forgot he had children. He became their caretaker, when all the money they did have was wasted away. He became their guardian when Minato made no move to protect them as they were forced to move from their middle class home, and were still forced to move four more times before settling in a bad part of the city they now still lived in. By eighteen, Pain had three jobs. Working as a bar tender from Friday to Sunday, six to two in the morning. Monday through Friday from nine to three, he worked as a mechanic. On Mondays and Thrusdays from five to twelve, he worked as a store clerk down the street from their house. Wednesdays were his only break days after four and that is when he slept until eight the next morning. He used to wake up at six to prepare breakfast for them, but Nagato had told him he could take care of it.

So before Nagato went to school, he'd wake him, Kyuubi, and Deidara. Then he'd prepare their breakfast for them as he made sure they were ready for the day. After making their lunches, he'd quickly go to his morning class that started thirty minutes before their own. After school, he'd check in on their dad, who wasted away in front of the tv. After making dinner for the others to eat, he was off to his own job at a burger joint. Since Pain refused to let him drop out of school, a seventeen year old Nagato took the majority of the care giving from Pain, until he got sick and was forced to rest in bed, too weak to do anything else but watch and silently cry as his brothers were forced to take care of him.

Kyuubi tried to help, but his anger at their dad for being a drunk and at his mom for dying was very difficult for him to get over. He'd lashed out and get into trouble every single day. Pain and Nagato tried to force him on the right path but with each lecture and punishment they gave, he fell farther into the hole he created. He was running out on the streets more then he was in school. At fifteen Kyuubi had been in trouble with the law more times than any young teen should have been. He had already been to juvie twice for theft and aggravated assult. A year later he was on the run when he beat another teen almost to death for something that even his friends couldn't remember. The teen would never be the same anymore, his brain unable to think beyond that of a child.

At fourteen, Deidara then took on the mother role, caring for Nagato and Naruto before and after school. At lunch, he'd catch the local bus home to make Nagato some broth or soup to eat. He'd check on their dad and then go back to school on another bus. He wanted to get a part time job, but Pain had refused and stopped any attempt made by the blonde. Always telling Deidara that he would be finishing school, both highschool and college. Deidara had agreed after a week long argument.

In all of this, Naruto had to watch all of his brothers suffer. He tried anyway he could to help them. In the beginning, he had tried to get the others to talk about their dreams but each of them would get angry and make him leave them alone. Pain didn't take pictures anymore. Nagato wouldn't write. Kyuubi was gone and lost in the world. Deidara hated art.

Over time, he learned to leave Pain alone, the only interaction he had at the time with his oldest brother was when Pain kissed his head in hello or good-bye as he came or went. He learned Nagato was always there and would go and talk to him a lot as he gained his help with his homework or talked about his day. He knew Nagato liked that, it made him feel useful. Deidara would sometimes talk with them, but for the most part, he tooked Pain's cashed checks and took care of the bills, made breakfast, lunch, and dinner, took care of Nagato and Naruto, and kept everything clean.

So at fifteen, Naruto had become used to this life. He became use to never really seeing Pain, as he exchanged his store clerk and bar tending job for a construction job that he worked Tuesday to Saturday from four to midnight or later if needed and then to work at his mechanic job that he was now working from nine to three from Monday to Friday. On Sundays he'd sleep until eight, take a shower, and then they'd all go to Nagato's room and just talk for a few hours. Naruto had come to love Sundays more than anything else. It was his favorite day. He wished everyday was Sunday.

He had become used to seeing his dad always passed out on the couch. The only time he wasn't there was when he was in the bar or being kept in jail over night. Sometimes he'd try and take the money from Deidara but his brother learned to quickly put it in the bank account Pain had opened for him. He kept a little cash on hand to keep Minato from finding out about the account.

He became used to Nagato resting in the room he rarely left unless Deidara was helping him to take a bath. Naruto tried to help, but Nagato would never let him. Since he wasn't old enough to get a job that was legal, and Pain wouldn't let him follow in his footsteps, Naruto spent the majority of his time helping Deidara or just talking with Nagato about sports he didn't want to play and clubs he didn't really want to be in, but he stayed only because they said it would look good for him and gain him scholarships to better colleges.

He became used to Deidara playing mom, going to the local college, and then taking care of the bills. Deidara was the one that made sure they all had everything they needed and would go to the store and buy things the needed, once in a while buying cloth instead of clothes to create them some. Naruto thought little of it when Deidara would gather all of their old clothes and the new material he bought to fix them up and make them look like the latest fashion as he sewed and sketched on Saturdays when he relaxed beside Nagato.

Naruto became used to never seeing Kyuubi again. His brother called but Deidara wouldn't let Kyuubi talk to anyone. Naruto would hear his brother yelling at Kyuubi and if Pain was there, his oldest brother would just take the phone and hang up. He'd send letters, but Deidara always burned them before Naruto could read them. Naruto wasn't even allowed to check the mail because Pain feared he'd find a letter from Kyuubi. Naruto had once asked why he couldn't talk to Kyuubi, and it was Nagato that told him that Kyuubi wasn't a good person to know anymore. A few times a month, the FBI would appear to try and find anything on their missing brother. Knowing all of this, Naruto still missed him. He still wanted his brother and hoped Kyuubi would come home.

At fifteen, Naruto even began taking classes at school to learn more things to help around the house because he had little else to offer to his family. He had also come to the conclusion that life had it out for them and it wasn't ready to let go. Just when they thought they'd make it, something else would appear and tear them back down. They had become life's newest target.

Why else would his mom be gone before he had a chance to remember her?

Why else would his dad be a drunk, living off of Pain and fighting with Deidara when he couldn't get money?

Why else would his twenty-five year old brother be always working to keep them from living on the streets?

Why else would his twenty-four year old brother be so sick and weak all the time with no answer for either?

Why else would his twenty-two year old brother be on the run from the law for his growing crimes that went international?

Why else would his nineteen year old brother have to play mom?

Why else was he forced to watch his brothers suffer so much? Why did they have to be the target of the only bully alive that no one could fight back?


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Naruto, time to get up, babe."

Groaning at the hand shaking his shoulder, Naruto frowned and pulled away, burying his face under his pillow.

"Come on Naruto, you're going to be late if you don't get up." the person chuckled softly as they sat on the bed behind him and shook his shoulders again.

"I'm sleeping." Naruto muttered tiredly.

"I know, but you have to get up. I made you breakfast." the person whispered softly. "Come on. Up or you won't be able to talk to Nagato before you head out to school."

Opening his eyes, Naruto yawned and turned over to find Deidara grinning down at him. His brother was already ready for the day. His hair was in it's half pony-tail and his clothes were in proper order, or 'Deidara Order' as Nagato called it. It was messy but fashionable. Each artical made to catch attention in an artful display as they clashed perfectly.

"Go take your shower, okay babe?" running a hand gently down Naruto's face, Deidara stood up and headed toward the door. "Or do you want me to wake Pain up?"

"I'm up!" Naruto sat up quickly and grinned. "I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

"Okay, Nagato is waiting for you."

Getting up quickly, Naruto grabbed the clothes Deidara had gotten ready for him that morning and ran to the bathroom they all shared. Fifteen minutes later, he was eating breakfast with Nagato. As he munched on eggs, Nagato slowly sipped soup from a foam cup.

"Did you get your homework done?" his brother asked him as Deidara rumaged through Naruto's bag to make sure everything was in there that needed to be in there.

"Yep," Naruto nodded. "I got the report done and you proof read it yesterday, remember?"

"What about your math? We didn't get to start it." Nagato said with a small smile on his face. How did he forget that? Naruto never turned in reports without him going over them first. Maybe it was an off day today.

"Yep, I did it by myself and I also finished the chapter I was supposed to read too." Naruto said proudly. "It took all day yesterday, but I got it."

"That's good." Nagato answered as he took another sip from his cup. Looking at Naruto eat and talk about random things, he felt calm and happy. Even if things were hard at the moment, Nagato was content that Naruto was still his innocent self as he was a long time ago. He was always so happy and smiling. He never got in trouble and he did as asked. It took a lot on all three of their parts to make sure Naruto had a happy childhood and would continue to have a happy life. Naruto happy made all of them happy. They wanted Naruto to succeed where they failed. They wanted him to soar where they couldn't. All three of them wanted good things for Naruto and he deserved them. Naruto lost too much already in his short life.

He didn't have a mother. His dad was an ass and he lost Kyuubi to the world. Naruto was too young to understand about their mother passing away. Their dad being drunk and uncaring was normal to him, but the day Kyuubi ran off, Naruto had broken down and cried. He had wanted to go after the red head. For weeks he had been depressed and no matter what they did, they couldn't make him get out of bed. Pain pretty much was taking Naruto a bath and Deidara was spoon feeding him. Nagato had asked that Naruto sleep in his room to keep an eye on him.

After the fifth week, though, he snapped out of it and seemed okay, but Nagato had been worried for a while after it. He'd always tell Naruto if he needed to talk, he could come to him.

It was Pain that decided that Kyuubi was to have no contact with Naruto at all. Nagato had thought the idea a bit harsh, but in the end knew it was best. He didn't want Naruto to be disappointed again and again with the only person to ever make the blonde cry. So cutting the ties completely was a good choice and all three stood by it. Even when Kyuubi called or sent letters, they made sure Naruto didn't speak to him or read them. Yet Naruto still cried on Kyuubi's birthday and asked once in a while if Kyuubi was coming home yet. Everytime he asked, Nagato wanted to cry as he told his brother no.

"Okay, everything looks in order." placing the bag on the bed, Deidara took Naruto's empty plate. "Let me go get your lunch and I'll wait for you in the car."

"Okay, Dei." Naruto nodded. "I'll see you after school Nagato."

"Come give me a hug, babe." Nagato smiled, using the nickname that their mom had used for Naruto before she died. Lifting his arms around the tiny blonde, he kissed Naruto's cheek, "Be good and don't get into fights."

"I won't."

"Don't forget you have soccer practice today afterschool."

"Okay, do I ride the local bus home?"

"No, Pain is going to pick you up. Now go before you're late." grinned, knowing that that would make Naruto's day. They rarely got to see Pain awake and home so any time with their brother was loved, especailly by Naruto.

"Bye Nagato!" Naruto yelled running out of his room, the biggest grin on his face.

"Don't forget your shoes!"

"I won't!" moments later, Nagato heard the front door open and close. Taking a breath, he relaxed into the pillows piled behind him. He felt so tired today. He was beyond exhausted and he thought his flu might be coming back. It was a good thing Naruto didn't notice. He hated to see his baby brother worry.

In the silence of the house he heard Pain turning over in the room next to his as he slept on and his dad snoring in the living room. If Naruto didn't love the man so much, he was sure Pain would have kicked him out a long time ago. He knew every morning Naruto would tip toe to the living room to kiss their dad's forehead before running after Deidara to the car. Just that simple show of love made Pain hold back his own anger at the drunk. At least their dad couldn't disappoint Naruto because Naruto had no expectation for the man.

"Mom, if you can hear me, please protect Naruto." he whispered to the ceiling, "Please take care of our baby brother."

**x**

Pulling over in front of the school, Deidara ruffled his hair and said, "Okay don't forget to turn your homework in and that you have practice afterschool."

"Yeah, Nagato already told me. He said Pain was going to come and get me." Naruto nodded excitedly as he grabbed his bag from the floor. "How come I can't just walk home? A lot of kids do." even though he didn't really want to walk home, Naruto thought he'd ask it anyway since it was a daily habit now.

"Yeah, but a lot of kids don't live as far as we do." Deidara answered automatically. Naruto knew the real reason was because they lived in a bad place and they were afraid something would happen to him. Even if they thought him innocent, he understood what was going on. He knew if he pretended for them, they'd be okay. So long as he smiled and played the part, everything would be fine.

"Okay Deidara, love you." Naruto nodded as he opened the door.  
"Love you too babe. Have fun!"

"I will!" Naruto gave him a thumps up and ran into the building. He knew Deidara wouldn't leave until he was safely within the brick building. Once inside, he moved to the glass window to see Deidara already pulling out of the lot and going back home to fix Pain breakfast and clean up some before he had to go to his own college classes. He knew Deidara would also take a few stops along the way to pay a few bills and probably go and see his boyfriend, that Pain knew nothing about and Naruto wasn't supposed to say anything about.

It was really kind of surprising to find that Deidara was seeing someone. His brother never seemed to have time to see anyone. So when Deidara had taken him to 'the store' he had met his brother's boyfriend. Deidara said he wanted Itachi to know about him and he wanted Naruto to know about Itachi. He also said he wasn't ready to tell Pain since their brother was already overprotective. Agreeing to the secret, Naruto had gotten to spend a few afternoons with Deidara and Itachi.

"Naruto!" someone shouted as they threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled gently at his hair. "'Sup kid?"

"I'm not a kid!" Naruto grumbled as he pushed Kiba off of him. "Just because I'm short-"

"And girly looking," Kiba added.

"I don't look like a girl." Naruto glared as he stalked off toward his locker.

"Sure you don't. Which is why you have an ass like a chick." Kiba chuckled.

"I do not!" Naruto insisted as he turned the dial to get the locker to open. Hopefully today it would open for him.

"Please, your ass is better than half the cheerleaders." Kiba insisted, wiggiling his eyebrows for added affect.

"And why are you checking out Naruto's ass?" came the smooth velvet question from Naruto's right as that locker opened instead of his own.

"Uchiha, so glad to see you lived another day." Kiba smirked, "Don't they have experation dates on vampires or something."

"You're painful remarks strike me so forecfully." Sasuke said boredly, moving Naruto's hand out of the way and spinning the dial so quickly that Naruto was sure the combo wasn't going to work. To his surprise, like always, it opened on the first try.

"Thank you, Sasuke." Naruto said as he opened his bag and placed his lunch and a few books within. Turning to the raven that had been his friend since they were nine, he smiled. Sasuke was the one he trusted almost as much as he trusted his brothers. He kept the bullies away and helped him in classes he had trouble with. Sasuke made it easy to forget that he was going home to a three bedroom run-down apartment. Even if he never saw Sasuke outside of school and practice, and though the raven knew nothing about his home life, save for his brothers names and little things Naruto told him, Naruto could honestly say Sasuke was his best friend.

"Hn." came the reply.

"Hn." Kiba mocked. Naruto didn't understand why Kiba and Sasuke didn't click. He had become Kiba's friend when he was in sixth grade. And like Sasuke, Kiba was like a bodyguard. If he thought anyone was teasing or insulting Naruto, Kiba was the first, after Sasuke, to come to his defense. He got along famously with both of them, but they hated eachother...

"Kiba, please stop trying to be Sasuke," Neji called out calmy as he walked to their small group with Gaara and Shikamaru right beside him. "You will never achive such greatness as his majesty."

"I'm so glad you know who's better, Neji." Sasuke smirked.

Naruto ignored their daily barbs at one another as he greeted the others. He was used to Sasuke and Neji trying to outdo one another in everything. They had been friends since they were in diapers. Naruto figured their insults were their hello's or something.

Gaara was Neji's boyfriend and another overprotective brother figure to Naruto. For some reason he saw Naruto as a five year old that needed his hand to be held as he crossed the street. He hated everyone and only spoke to the people that Naruto befriended. Naruto had known the red head for a year and some months. He was Neji's secret boyfriend first until Gaara moved to their school. When Gaara had saw how small Naruto was then, which was shockingly smaller then he was now, he had pretty much made himself, yet another, bodyguard along with Neji, Shikamaru, and the other two.

"Hey Naruto," Shikamaru yawned as he intertwined his fingers with Kiba's. Naruto had known Shikamaru as long as he knew Kiba. He couldn't remember a day they weren't side by side. "How's your morning going?"

"It's great!" Naruto nodded to prove his point. "Deidara made my favorite food today for lunch."

"Ramen?" Sasuke blinked in surprise, "I thought you said Pain had veto ramen from your diet?"

"No, he only said I couldn't have it everyday of the week and that Deidara can give me some sparringly. It's homemade, not store bought. I just got to reheat it later." Naruto practically drooled at the thought of eating it. He loved Deidara's ramen. It was better then the best chef's in the worlds ramen.

"Do you have a ride home after practice?" Neji asked suddenly as they waited for him to put his bag away and shut his locker.

"Yep!" Naruto grinned, "Pain is going to get me. Nagato and Deidara said so." Just the thought of seeing his brother for more then a few minuets on a Monday made Naruto beyond happy. He'd get to talk to Pain for a whole fifteen minutes!

"Pain? You mean we actually get to meet him?" Kiba gaped in surprise.

Naruto nodded again. In all of the years he known the guys, none of them had ever met any of his brothers but Deidara. To them, Naruto's other brothers were strangers and unknown people in Naruto's lives, just like Naruto's home was. He knew his friends tried different ways to see his house, but Naruto always had an answer as to why they couldn't come over. His brothers didn't think anything of it. All of them weren't to happy in showing off their home either. There was only a select few that actually knew their lives and most of them were all Pain's and Deidara's friends.

All of his brothers knew Naruto's friends by name and pictures that Naruto had of them. He was sure that his brothers knew his friends better then he did with as much as he talked about them. Pain had been a little worried when Naruto and Sasuke had become friends, but Deidara had assured him that Sasuke was alright and wouldn't let anyone cruel befriend Naruto.

"Wow, this, wow." Kiba said, speaking for everyone. "Man, this is pretty cool. I can't wait to meet him. I know you said he's not mean to you, but I just need to make sure with my own eyes."

"Pain is awesome. You guys will love him!" Naruto assured them as they walked to class. First period was one of two of his favorite classes since he had all of them in it. After that, he slowly lost them all as the day went on only to gain them back in his last period. "He lets me have ramen three times a day on my birthday."

"Only you will be happy with ramen." Sasuke smirked, leading them all to their seats in the back of the class. This was the only class in the whole school that had tables instead of desk. Each table sat four teens. Gaara, Neji, Shikamaru, and Kiba took the very last table on the left side of the classroom, and Sasuke, Naruto, and two other students sat in front of them.

Ignoring the looks given to their group by guys and girls, Naruto continued to talk about how much ramen was amazing. He knew the school couldn't understand why the schools newest attractions of the year were his friends. They all assumed it was because he looked like he was twelve instead of fifteen and that his friends felt sorry for him or something. They thought he was too much of an idiot to be their friends and not cool enough. He didn't really care about their reasoning and let them think what they wanted. At least they were better then a few of the female body that saw him as their long lost child or something.

The one thing he cared about, though, was his short petite frame. He was hoping that he'd at least look his age before he graduated. Nagato said he still had a few years to go before he stopped growing, and Naruto was hoping he grew more then his short 5'2" frame and grow at least as tall as his friends, who were all 6'0 or around there. He was also hoping he'd lose his skinny female-ish body and get muscles like Gaara or Kiba. Heck, he wouldn't mind being built like Sasuke, Neji, and Shikamaru with only enough muscles that fit their slim, but built, frames.

Even his brothers were tall. Pain was 6'5" and had the muscles that went with that frame. Nagato was 5'10", but with his health he was very thin. Deidara was 5'9" and slim, but it fit him. And the last time Naruto saw Kyuubi, his brother was catching up on Pain at only 6'2" and built like a boxer. Even his dad was tall, standing even with Pain but with doing nothing but drinking, his body was just thin. Not as thin as Nagato but not healthy either.

Pain had said their mom was short, standing only 5'0 even and petite herself. He also said that Naruto might take after her, since he an his other brothers all shot up like daisies the summer before their freshmen year.

"It's the food made for kings." Naruto nodded enthusiastically.

"Did you finish your report?" Kiba ask them all as he ran a finger over one of the fang tattoo's on his face. Naruto wanted tattoos too, some like Kyuubi's, three deep lines on each side of his face, that he got before he left them, but Pain had firmly told him no and to forget about it. Nagato had said he was perfect the way he was and Deidara had said he'd give him a tattoo with a rusty knife if he wanted one. Naruto had quickly said no thank you.

"Yep, I finished it up Saturday." pulling out his notebook he showed Kiba his paper. "See."

"What about your math?" Neji asked.

"I did it all by myself." Naruto boosted with pride.

"Nagato didn't help you?" Sasuke frowned. Nagato helped Naruto with all of his homework. From what Sasuke had paste together, Nagato was the only one that seemed to always be there for Naruto. Sure Deidara and Pain were also there, but they came and went with their busy scheduals. He wasn't sure he liked the way things were and if they were okay or not since Naruto never let him go over to his place. Sasuke wasn't even sure if Naruto lived in town or not.

"No, he was feeling a little sick so I told him I was going to do it without help." Naruto shrugged as he put the report on the table to pass it up when the teacher came in.

"Oh man, that means I'm the only one who doesn't have one." Kiba pouted, getting the subject off of Nagato. There were few things that could put the blonde down and one of them was Nagato's health.

"I asked you last night if you had it done and you said yes." Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend.

"I, uh, lied." Kiba chuckled nervously.

Before Shikamaru could retort, the bell rang and the remaining students piled in.

"Alright class," Hayate said, "Everyone but Kiba, pass up your papers."

"Hey!" Kiba said, getting ready to protest.

"Kiba, do you have your paper today?" Hayate asked as the class turned to face the teen.

"Not today, but I'll have it-"

"Friday, of course." Hayate grinned. "Papers people, we got a lot to do today."


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

By lunch time, Naruto was beyond starving. Just the thought of Deidara's ramen made his mouth water as he waited to be excused from class to get his lunch from his locker.

"Alright class," Kakashi gestured to the door, "Out! Except you Naruto."

"But Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto pouted as he sat back down and watched the others leave him alone with their teacher.

"Naruto," Kakashi smiled kindly at him as he moved to sit on the desk in front of Naruto's. "How are you today?"

"Fine." Naruto answered. Kakashi was one of the few that knew about Naruto's life. Kakashi was like family. He had met Pain first as he worked side by side with him at the bar while he worked to get his teaching degree. Kakashi had stayed in touch with Pain and their family and when he realized that Naruto was going to school in this town, he had applied for a job here over the summer and now Naruto had to deal with Kakashi everyday

"That's good," Kakashi nodded pleased. "No trouble in any of your classes?"

"Nope, my friends help me." Naruto explained. "Can I go eat now? I'm hungry!"

"In a moment," Kakashi chuckled as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "How are your brothers? I haven't seen Pain for a week and I haven't gotten a chance to go check on you guys either."

"Pain's good. He's either working at the shop or construction. Um, Deidara's started drawing again but he won't show me." at that Naruto pouted, "And Nagato is okay." which wasn't the truth. Naruto knew his brother was feeling sick again. Maybe his fever was coming back.

"I see," Kakashi nodded again. "Do you think he'll mind if I come and visit him? You know just to check for myself?"

"I'm sure he'll love that!" Naruto grinned. "He's probably getting ready to go crazy with just seeing us."

"Haku doesn't go over anymore?" Kakashi blinked in surprise.

Haku was Deidara's best friend and had been since they were both fifteen. He was kind and caring and usually did the cooking when Deidara was going to be late. Haku was like an added addition to Naruto's little family and stayed the night a few times a week.

"He's been busy with test and papers swamping him. He came by two days ago but he had to go because Zabuza got locked out of the house and he couldn't get in." Naruto laughed. "Kakashi can I go eat now? I'm going to miss lunch and Deidara made me my favorite." he pleaded.

"Go on then," Kakashi laughed, "Don't need to be wasting those puppy eyes on me."

"Thanks Kakashi! I'll see you later!" with that Naruto took off running to his locker as he prayed Sasuke hadn't left to eat his own lunch. If that happened then Naruto would never get his ramen.

Turning the corner, Naruto grunted as he ran face first into another body. "I'm sorry." he said quickly as he gathered his books and papers.

"Idiot!" the person hissed, "Watch were you're going, you moron!"

"I said I was sorry!" Naruto glared at the one person he hated the most. Kabuto Yakushi. Kabuto was two grade higher than him and was simply mean. Everyone thought Kabuto was sweet and kind, but Naruto knew the truth. Kabuto was an a-class jerk who liked picking on him. Naruto thought it was because of Sasuke. He knew the teen had a crush on his best friend and that Kabuto thought it was his fault that Sasuke wouldn't acknowledge him.

"Sorry isn't good enough," Kabuto smirked as he stepped on Naruto's math homework.

"Well that's all you're getting." Naruto glared as he tried to pull his paper free. "Get off."

"Sure," Kabuto nodded and twisted his foot, tearing the paper in the process. "Whoops." with that he walked down the hallway, chuckling without a care in the world.

In shock, Naruto stared at his homework slightly crinkled and torn down the middle. On both ends was a shoe print with traces of mud covering the majority of the answers on one side of the paper. It had taken him all night to finish the homework. He wasn't good at math to begin with and had struggled through every answer. He knew the teacher, Kurenai-sensei, wouldn't take a paper that wasn't perfect and that she wouldn't give him an extra day to turn it in.

With a quiet sigh, he grabbed what was left of his things together and moved to the side of the hallway. He had math after lunch and his book was in his locker. The only reason he kept the math homework on him today was because he was proud of the work he did and liked seeing it and knowing he did it by himself. He couldn't get into his locker because Sasuke was probably in the lunchroom already and he couldn't copy his answers because he couldn't really see through the mud. Rubbing it just made it worse. He couldn't fail math. He couldn't. He needed to keep good grades to get into good colleges like his brothers wanted him to.

Putting his things beside him, Naruto pulled his knees close to his chest and hugged them. Knowing that he was bound to fail, Naruto buried his face in his knees and tried not to cry. The homework was worth forty percent of his grade. It was the summary of the chapter they had just gone over. It was over seventy questions, all of which he had to show his work for.

Pain was going to be disappointed in him. Naruto had never disappointed Pain in his life. He did all he could to make sure he'd never have to disappoint his brother.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called as he walked down the hallway. "Naruto-what's wrong?" the raven asked as he moved to his side quickly. "Naruto, what happened?"

"Nothing." Naruto mumbled into his legs.

"What do you mean nothi- what happened to your homework?" Sasuke asked as he picked up the torn sheets, "Who did this?" he demanded angrily. "Naruto tell me-"

"No one." Naruto said taking the paper back and putting it with his stuff. No one would believe that Kabuto did it. Kabuto was the perfect student who wouldn't hurt anyone. Kabuto never lied and was friends with everyone one but him, unless other peopler were in the area.

"Naruto," Sasuke sighed and tilted Naruto's head so he could see his eyes. "Don't worry, alright? I'm going to help you before lunch is over."

"I don't have enough time-"

"I'm going to help you. Come on, let's go get your book and we'll get started." Sasuke smiled gently as he gathered Naruto's things and helped the blonde up. Leaving an arm around Naruto's shoulders, Sasuke steered them to their lockers.

"How come you aren't at lunch?"

"Because you never came to get yours." Sasuke answered. "I've never seen you late to ramen. So I thought I'd go looking for you."

"Kakashi-sensei wanted to talk to me and then..." trailing off, Naruto shrugged as he waited for Sasuke to open his locker. When the raven sat on the floor and patted the spot beside him, Naruto followed suit.

"Okay, let's see..."

For the rest of lunch, Sasuke sat with Naruto as he rewrote his homework. On problems that he struggled with the night before, Sasuke explained easy ways to go about them. By the time he was halfway done, Kiba, Shikamaru, Gaara, and Neji had appeared.

At their looks, Sasuke shook his head when Naruto wasn't paying attention and discreetly nodded toward the torn paper in front of Naruto. At their frowns and narrowed looks, he shook his head again and motioned for them to take a seat.

Five minutes before the bell rung, Naruto was completely done and smiling again. "Thank you guys." He smiled brightly as he placed the paper gently within his math folder.

"Come on Naruto," Shikamaru yawned, "We need to get to class. Do you want to eat your ramen on the way?"

"No, I'll save it for afterschool." Naruto pouted sadly as he dusted his pants off.

"Here," Gaara said, handing him a bag of fruit, "So you don't get hungry."

"Thank you Gaara! Thank you Sasuke!" giving both of them a hug, Naruto grasped onto Shikamaru and began dragging him to the otherside of the school.

"Who did this?" Kiba demanded angrily as he held Naruto's destroyed homework in his hand.

"He won't say." Sasuke glared at the students walking by. "but I'm not going to let it happen again."

"If I find out who did it," Neji said calmly, his eyes hiding his anger, "I will make them wish they never came to this school."

"You and us all." Gaara agreed and headed off to class with Sasuke as Neji and Kiba went to their own separate classes.

**x**

"Naruto if you don't sit still in your seat, you won't be going to soccer practice." Iruka, his last teacher of the day said. Normally Naruto loved hearing Iruka go on and on about history but today he just wanted to get out of there and done with practice so he could see Pain before he went to sleep for the rest of the day. He couldn't wait to talk to Pain about, well anything really.

"But Iruka-Sensei, I don't want to sit here after class." Naruto whined as Kiba snickered from the seat behind him. Shikamaru slept on to the right of Kiba. Neji sat in front of Shikamaru as Gaara sat to the right of Neji and Sasuke sat in front of Naruto. Normally Iruka had assigned seats, but he couldn't really tell Naruto no once he was hit with Naruto's watery blue eyes.

"Then sit still for fifteen more minutes." Iruka sighed as he massaged his forehead. "Can you do that?"

"Fine." Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. Trying hard and failing badly, Naruto couldn't hear a word Iruka was saying. His eyes refused to move from the clock behind, and above, Iruka's head. Holding his breath, Naruto counted the the last five seconds down. The second the bell rang, he was out of there, ignoring Iruka's gasp as ran down the hallway.

"Naruto wait up!" he heard Kiba yelling behind him.

Turning the corner, Naruto moved around students, apologising when he bumped into someone, and turned corners only to land in the arms of one Ino Yamanaka.

"Naruto!" the blonde female squealed in delight as she hugged him to her chest. "Oh, you look so adorable today! How is Mama Ino's favorite baby?"

"I'm not a baby." Naruto tried to say but with his face stuck in Ino's chest, it was kind of hard to breathe. Many guys may have found this exciting, but Naruto couldn't really see Ino as more then a friend or a sister even.

"I didn't see you in the lunch room today, were you sick?" she asked, pulling him back as she placed her lips against his forehead. "You feel normal. Open your mouth."

"Ino-"

"Naruto, open." she ordered as she squeezed his cheeks. With a roll of his eyes, he opened his mouth as best as he could. "Hmmmmm."

"What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded as he came to Naruto's rescue.

"I'm making sure he's not sick."

"Why would he be sick?" Neji panted slightly.

"Because she didn't see me during lunch," Naruto answered as best he could with Ino still holding on to his mouth.

"Ino let the kid go," Sakura, Ino's rival in everything and best friend before all else, said."You're going to bruise him. Hello Naruto."

"Hey Sakura," he smiled at the taller girl. It kind of depressed him that even the girls were taller then him and thought of him as a child. "can't talk now, I gotta get to practice. Bye!" he yelled and was off again.

"For being so short, he's really fast." Sakura stated as the guys chuckled and went running after Naruto.

**x**

"I've never seen you run so fast, Namikaze." Coach Dan said in surprise. "I think you ran the others in circles." he went on as he found all of his players panting on the floor in exhaustion. Even the Uchiha and the Hyuuga were tired enough to not care about how amusing they looked gasping for much needed breath. "Did you have sugar again?"

"No, Pain won't let me eat it. He says I have enough energy as it is." Naruto smiled, not even looking exhausted. "He says the last time he gave me sugar I was bouncing off the walls."

"I can believe that." Coach Dan chuckled.

"I did have ramen though." Naruto grinned. His brother's ramen was worth waiting for. He enjoyed every minute of the meal as he waited for their coach to appear.

"And you didn't throw up?" Coach Dan said in amazment. Shaking his head he turned to the rest of the team, "Alright boys, hit the showers."  
"Yes coach," the team groaned. Slowly they made their way to the showers with Naruto leading the way. By the time they were done, Naruto was waiting for his friends to finish. He knew if he took off on them, all of them would give him a lecture when they found him. He didn't mind that they wanted to protect him, but today he wanted them to hurry.

"Okay, let's go," Sasuke said and gasped as Naruto began dragging him out of the locker room. With the others behind him, he lead them to the parking lot, looking for the familiar car of his brother. He had so much he wanted to talk about with Pain, of course he'd leave out Kabuto, and he only had twenty minutes to say it all in.

"What does your brother drive?" Kiba asked looking around for anyone that looked remotely like Naruto.

"It doesn't matter," Naruto said sadly as he spotted another familiar car instead. "He didn't come." not waiting for them to ask questions, Naruto walked over to the black two door and got in.


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Hello Naruto," Haku smiled gently at him.

"Hey Haku," Naruto forced a smile as he waved to his friends until they disappeared in the distance. Turning to Haku he asked, "Did Pain get held up again?"

"Yes," Haku nodded knowing how disappointed Naruto was. He knew Naruto treasured any amount of time he would get with his oldest brother and it hurt to know Naruto was hurting. "He got held up in work. He had Zabuza call me and ask if I could come get you."

"How is Zabuza?" Naruto asked referring to Haku's only brother. Zabuza worked in the shop with Pain and a few other guys. One of them being Hidan, who Haku had a major crush on but would do nothing about. Deidara had called them an odd pairing but supported Haku to the best of his ability. Even going so far as to set them up on a date, or tried anyway. Naruto had once asked Deidara if Hidan had liked Haku too and if he did, why didn't he do anything. Deidara had answered that Hidan did like him but since Haku was Zabuza's brother, he wouldn't do anything. Then he went on to call Hidan an idiot.

"He's good. Been working pretty late to make a few extra bucks." Haku shrugged. "Do you mind if we stop at the store before I get you home. I need to pick up a few things for dinner."

"Is Deidara going to be late too?" Naruto questioned, unable to hide the sadness crossing his face.

With a sigh, Haku ran a hand gently through Naruto's hair. "Yeah, he has a test he needs to study for and the books he needs can't be checked out of the library. He'll be home before you go to bed though."

"What about Pain?"

"I'm not sure. He didn't say." Haku answered as he carassed Naruto's cheek. "But hey, on the plus side, we get to hang out together."

"Okay," Naruto grinned. "Can I pick dinner today?"

"Well it would be weird if I picked it." Haku grinned as he parked the car.

"Yes! Pasta here we come!" he cheered as he walked arm in arm with Haku to the store.

**x**

"I want to help, Haku. Can I?" Naruto asked hopefully as he helped the older raven grab the bags from the back seat.

"Last time I let you help, you burned yourself in three different places." Haku reminded him, motioning for Naruto to go ahead of him. "I will not have Deidara, Pain, Nagato, Zabuza, and worst of all Hidan, yelling at me because you hurt yourself again."

"I'm taking cooking classes this year. I know what I'm doing." Naruto said quickly. "In fact, we cooked pasta just the other day."

"Hmmmm, no." Haku chuckled as Naruto pouted. "Come on short stuff, get the door."

"You're short too." Naruto protested.

"Yes, but I'm three inches taller then you, so it works out just fine." Haku grinned.

"You're still sho-" Naruto stopped as he entered the kitchen. "Dad, what are you doing?" he asked as the older blonde continued to shift through the fridge. Looking around, Naruto noticed all of the cupboards were open along with anything that held a door. A mess covered the floor, his dad tossing more things as he went.

"Where's my cans?" his dad demanded angrily as he referred to his choice of beer.

"We don't have any," Naruto answered, moving toward the side as Haku walked passed him.

"Like hell we don't!" his dad shouted. "I bought some yesterday!"

"Dad-"

"Naruto, why don't you go say hello to Nagato, I'm sure he wants to see you." Haku smiled gently, taking the bags from his hands.

"But-" Naruto started only to find himself turned around.

"Go on," Haku nodded, giving him a slight push as he ignored the older male's shouts and angry demands. "Please?"

Naruto knew Haku was only trying to protect him from his dad. He knew his dad was somewhat violent when he had nothing to drink and it scared him. It scared him more to know that Haku was going to deal with the man on his own. He wanted to stay but he found himself following Haku's orders. He wished more then anything that Pain would get home soon. Pain could handle their dad.

Moving into Nagato's room, he found his brother trying and failing to get up. Hearing his dad yelling in the kitchen and Haku's calm muffled replies, Naruto stayed by the door just incase he was needed. He wasn't sure what he'd do, but he'd do what he could to help Haku or stop his dad from doing something bad. He loved his dad, but he loved Haku too.

"Naruto what's going on?" Nagato asked.

"Give me my fucking cans!" his dad screamed, throwing something against the wall. "You fucking whore! Give me what's mine!"

Trying to hold back the tears, Naruto cracked the door a little to try and hear Haku's replies.

"Fuck you!" his dad shouted angrily. Naruto jumped when he heard a slap and then a thump.

Fear made him run out of the room to find his dad holding Haku by the hair against the counter. On one side of Haku's face, Naruto made out red markings that looked like they were made from a slap or a hit.

"Let him go!" He screamed angrily, latching onto his dad's arm and pulling back. "Don't hurt him!"

"Get the fuck off me!" his dad snarled, pushing him against the table as if he weighed nothing and began screaming nonsense at him.

"Don't touch him!" With that, Haku slammed his fist against the side of the older blonde's head.

"You fucking bastard!" Minato back handed Haku so hard he flew across the room.

"Haku!" Naruto cried, running to the raven's side. "Haku wake up! Please wake up!"

"You fucking bastard." his dad cursed, grabbing him by the hair and dragging him out of the room. "Think you can hurt me! Go against me!"

"Dad stop!" Naruto screamed, kicking his legs and holding onto his dad's arm. "Please Dad!" he cried fearfully as he was being dragged farther away from Haku and Nagato.

"Naruto!" he heard Nagato shouting. "Naruto!"

"Nagato! Help me!"

"Shut the fuck up!" his dad screamed, turning around to kick him. "I help create your stupid fucking life! I can help end it! I own you! Do you fucking hear me! I own you!"

"Daddy please stop!" Naruto cried as his dad dragged him to the closet just outside the kitchen. Finding himself slammed face first against the wall, Naruto tried to escape, kicking back weakly to no avail. "Nagato!" he sobbed and then jerked as he felt something hard slap painfully against his back.

"Son of a bitch!" his dad shouted angrily, hitting him again and again.

"Nagato!"

**x**

Kakashi whistled a random tune that he was making up on the spot. He had come later then he intended but grading papers came first, as Pain liked to say. He had only made one mistake in his life and that was telling Pain about his procastinating with grading paper. Needless to say he got a leture, that was more like a threat, about those kids futures being in his hands and that Naruto was one of them.

Parking his car across the street, Kakashi grabbed the cake he had gotten simply because he knew Naruto loved cake and was not allowed to have it. He figured if he showed it to the blonde first, the others would cave at his begging pleas. Locking the door behind him, he headed across the street, finding Haku's car parked in front of the house. It brought a grin to his face, it seems Naruto's and his converstation conjured up the boy.

Moving up the two steps, he raised his hand to knock on the door and stilled at the screaming coming from the otherside. Without thought he dropped the cake and ran inside.

Stunned, Kakashi stood in his spot for five seconds, taking in Minato beating Naruto with a vaccum cord. With a roar of rage, Kakashi ran into the room, turned Minato by one shoulder and slammed his fist into the man's face. Following him down, he hit him a few more times until Minato stopped moving. Turning to check on Naruto, he found the teen gone. Knowing he'd be with Nagato he moved quickly to the red head's room and found Naruto straddling his brother's laps, his arms holding tightly on to Nagato as he sobbed into his neck.

"Check on Haku," Nagato said trying to sooth his baby brother.

With a nod, Kakashi turned and searched the small house, finding the petite raven in the kitchen unconscious. Dropping beside him, he checked his pulse and breathe an air of relief. Checking him over, he found bruises forming on the right side of his face and a bump forming on the left. Gently he picked him up and moved toward the living room, stopping when he found Minato gone. "Shit," he cursed, quickly putting Haku on the couch and grabbing his phone.

First he dialed Pain and end up getting his voice mail. Leaving a quick message that urged him to get home as quickly as possible, he called Deidara.

"Kakashi, I'm in the library and getting the evil eye from-"

"Deidara you need to get home." He said quickly.

"Why?" Deidara asked, "What happened?"

"Just get here quickly," Kakashi said, turning to find Haku stirring and groaning softly. "Please."

"Okay I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Haku are you alright?" closing his phone, Kakashi knelt beside him.

"Where's Naruto?" Haku asked softly. "Is he alright?"

"He's with Nagato right now." Kakashi answered. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"

"I don't have the money for them to tell me I'm going to live." Haku tried to joke as he made to sit up.

"No, lay there for a second." Kakashi ordered checking Haku's bump again, "you're going to have an egg growing."

"See? Why do I need a doctor if you're here?" Haku grinned weakly.

"Might as well turn in my teaching degree and start taking in patients."

"I wouldn't go that far," Haku grimaced, trying not to laugh, "You won't show up until their appointment is almost over." Chuckling, Kakashi helped Haku into a sitting position. "Help me to Naruto?" the younger boy asked.

"Alright," Kakashi nodded. Deciding to simply pick the raven up, Kakashi carried him back to Nagato's room. Instead of finding Naruto sitting on Nagato, Kakashi found him resting beside him, his head on Nagato's shoulder and his arms and legs still wrapped around his brother's body. Nagato had one arm wrapped Naruto's waist as he ran his other hand gently through his hair. Moving to sit beside Nagato, Kakashi kept Haku in his lap. "Naruto are you alright?"

Instead of answering, Naruto closed his eyes tightly and hid his face in Nagato's chest. Kakashi knew Naruto was still in shock. Minato had never raised a hand toward the small boy. Naruto had never been beaten in his life. Everyone knew Minato would never strike or do anything to Naruto. Whether it was because he loved his smallest child or because he feared what would happen to him if he did hurt Naruto, Kakashi didn't know. All he did know was the rage running through his blood at the thought of Minato. He may have cared for him because Naruto did, but Kakashi would be one of the first to strike the man. He knew Pain would try and find him, Deidara would want him behind bars, and Nagato's main concern was Naruto.

And the one thing Kakashi knew for sure was that if Kyuubi found out, the red head would come for blood. Even if Kyuubi had left them and was a criminal on the run, Kyuubi loved Naruto above all else and would do anything for him. Naruto was the reason Kyuubi called. Naruto was the reason Kyuubi sent letters. Naruto was the reason Kyuubi couldn't fully leave. Naruto would be the reason Kyuubi would kill for.


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke frowned as he was once again late to his first period class. It had been a week since he had last seen Naruto in class and he was starting to worry. He was at the point where he wanted to chase down Deidara or hack into the schools files to find where Naruto lived so he could make sure for himself that Naruto was alright.

He wasn't sick, that much he could say for sure. Naruto rarely got sick, which Sasuke had to give thanks for to Pain or Deidara, since both made sure Naruto ate right and took care of him as Naruto had stated many times.

Ignoring the teacher sending him a look, Sasuke moved to his normal seat and sat down. With his eyes on the table, he thought of how much he knew about Naruto.

He knew Naruto had moved here when he was eight almost nine and that Naruto had been to a few other schools before coming here. His mom had passed when he was little and Naruto had said he didn't remember her much. He didn't speak much about his dad. In fact, Sasuke didn't know if Naruto had a dad or not. Or if he was even alive and in the picture. For the most part, Naruto spoke of Pain when he talked about a dad figure and Deidara was like his mom. Pain worked constantly and Deidara went to school. Sure Naruto said that Nagato was like his parent along with his brother, but Sasuke only considered Nagato Naruto's brother since Deidara was always doing mom things. From what Naruto had said, Deidara did the cooking, cleaning, and mothering the rest as he ran the household and went part time to college. He also knew that Naruto had another brother that he rarely spoke of. Whenever anyone questioned the blonde about this mysterious brother, that Sasuke didn't even know the name of, Naruto would get really quiet and asked to be excused. It was like talking about this brother hurt Naruto more then never seeing him.

Out of everyone listed, Sasuke had only ever met Deidara in person.

"Uchiha!"

At his name, Sasuke looked up blankly and tried to figure out what was going on. From the annoyance on Hayate's face, he figured the man had been calling him for a while.

"Yes?" he questioned.

"You have been summoned to the office."

"Alright." Sasuke nodded and left the classroom. With his hands in his pockets, he turned a few corners until the office came into view. Pulling the office door open, he walked in and waited for someone to notice him.

"Uchiha," Genma, one of the main secetaries smiled, "You are being released early."

"I'm...what?" Sasuke frowned as he was told to sign his name to check out.

"Your brother is outside waiting for you."

"Okay," Sasuke said, turning away to head back outside. Since he didn't bother to get anything from his locker today, he didn't need to drop anything off. Why would Itachi pull him out of class? Itachi was all for perfect attendence and grades. Sasuke was not allowed to miss a day of school no matter the cause. He could be dying and he knew Itachi would send him to school. Maybe that's what happened when you lost your parents and were forced to grow up fast. Thinking about that, Sasuke realized how much he relied on his brother for many things. Itachi was like his dad, mom, and brother all in one package. He was twenty-four and had been Sasuke's legal guardian since Sasuke, himself, was nine. Since their family was well off and the Uchiha's had a finger in everything, it wasn't hard for Itachi to gain guardianship over him.

Walking outside, Sasuke spotted Itachi right away. "Is there a reason you're pulling me out of school?"

"Yes," Itachi nodded but made no move to say more as he waited for Sasuke to buckle up before taking off.

"Which is?"

"We're going to see Naruto." Itachi answered.

"Naruto? How do you know about Naruto?"

"Like you've never talked about him before." Itachi rolled his eyes.

"So I've talked about him, you've never met him." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Not to mislead you, but I have actually."

"When?"

"Many times. I should have since he is my boyfriend's brother."

"Boyfriend?" Sasuke blinked at Itachi's blank face. You'd think he was talking about nothing at all. "Since when did you have a boyfriend?"

"Since I aquired one a year ago." Itachi chuckled at Sasuke shock, "Even you, little brother, do not know everything about me."

"Which brother and why didn't I know? Why didn't Naruto say anything?"

"Deidara and because we wish to keep it quiet so Naruto promised he wouldn't say anything at all about us yet. Deidara is trying to break it to Pain in the least painful way."

"Why?"

"If you met Pain you wouldn't ask that." Itachi answered calmly as he turned down unknown streets.  
"So are you going to tell Pain, is that why we're going to see Naruto?" Sasuke asked trying to figure out where they were going. This was already heading toward the bad part of town. Where exactly was Naruto?

"Yes and no. Deidara had requested that I comfort him and Naruto is in need of a friend not an overprotective parent, which is why you are coming along." Itachi said, parking his car behind the black two door that picked up Naruto after practice a week ago.

"What are we doing here?" Sasuke asked looking around the neighborhood. The place looked like it was waiting for crime to happen. Houses were beat down and yards were parking lots. Cats and dogs ran all over the streets that were cracked and in bad need of repair. Sasuke was waiting for someone to hold them at gunpoint.

"Naruto lives here." Itachi said, turning to face him. "He and the others are already self-concsious about their home. Please don't make it worse. This is only the second time I've been here."

"But...here? Itachi this place is dangerous!" Sasuke argued looking toward the house that Itachi pointed to. It was the neatest house on the block but it wasn't saying much. The house was cared for and in good shape. It was the only house with a yard in front along with some flowers.

"Sasuke, Naruto's family doesn't come from money. I'm going to tell you some things and they are not to be spoken of unless Naruto speaks of them first." at Sasuke's nod, he went on, "Naruto lost his mother when he was six. His father became a drunk and forced their family in to bankruptcy many times. Pain dropped out of school at sixteen to take care of his famliy and continues to do so. Nagato is very sick and has been sick since he was seventeen and no one knows why his body is as frail as an old mans most days. Kyuubi is on the run from the law. Law enforcement come every month to see if they had contact with him. The only one that you can honestly say you know is Deidara."

Sasuke couldn't believe this. He knew some of it but...For as long as he knew Naruto, the blonde had never said anything being this bad. He had assumed that everything was okay and happy in the blonde's life. He had assumed that Pain was addicted to working and that Nagato just constantly had the cold. He had assumed that Deidara was the only one that really cared. He had assumed that Naruto's mysterious brother, or Kyuubi, was always traveling. He had assumed so much and had been wrong on most of it.

"Deidara has convinced Pain to let you come and see Naruto. They're hoping it'll help him."

"Help him with what?" Sasuke demanded when Itachi only turned to look back at the house. "Itachi, what happened to Naruto? Why hasn't he been in school for the last week?"

"Come on," Itachi said instead, opening his door.

"Itachi?" following his brother's lead, Sasuke walked around the car. Hearing the beep of the alarm being engaged, they made their way across the cracked road and up the broken sidewalk. With his hands resting limply at his side, Sasuke stood back as Itachi knocked.

"Itachi," Deidara smiled softly, opening the door wider and pulling him into an embrace.

"Are you alright?" Itachi asked, wrapping his arms around Deidara's waist and kissing his hair.

"I'm fine, Naruto..." the blonde sighed, "Hello Sasuke."

"Hey," Sasuke raised his hand weakly.

"I'm glad you came. Naruto talks about you a lot and I'm hoping... He really needs a friend but he..." Deidara gestured vaguly with his hand. "Come in guys."

Following the blonde, leading his brother in by his hand, Sasuke moved in through the grey door, closing it behind him and taking everything in. The walls and carpet were in shades of brown. From the doorway, he could see into the kitchen, and what he assumed was a closet right next to the doorway, and living room separated only by a thin wall. Everything in there looked like it had been pulled from a second hand store and most likely had been. There was a short hallway, that showed a bathroom directly in front of him, turning left and probably to the bedrooms. Over all, the house was smaller then Sasuke thought and for four to five guys...How did they all manage to live here?

"Deidara, who's here?" someone asked, coming from the hallway.

"It's Sasuke and Itachi," Deidara answered, releasing Itachi's hand quickly. "Remember Pain? We were talking about it yesterday and you said we should let Sasuke talk to Naruto."

Sasuke gaped in surprise as Pain came into view. Naruto's oldest brother was big. There was no other words to describe him. Pain looked like he could kick ass or just escaped from prison. He was huge, but not fat, every inch of him was pure muscle that, if Sasuke tried, he would never be able to replicate on his own form. Sasuke figured if he had tattoos, he'd go running. But like Naruto and Deidara, his skin was clear save for a few scars lining his bare chest and arms. He made Naruto and Deidara look tiny. Hell, Sasuke was feeling short and childish next to the guy. He could only imagine what Naruto felt like when he was near his oldest brother. Now he understood what Itachi meant about meeting him. If he was dating Naruto, he'd be too afraid to admit it.

Without making a noise, Pain looked him over, making Sasuke shake on the inside, and nodded, "Come on."

With a gulp and a look toward his brother, Sasuke followed the male down the hallway and toward the left. When Pain stopped at one of the closed doors, he said, "If you make him cry, hurt him, do anything to harm him, I will take care of you." without waiting for a response, that Sasuke would never have been able to supply if his life depended on it, Pain moved passed him, heading toward a door they passed moments ago.

Unsure of what to do, Sasuke reached for the knob and walked in. The room was bright and held two twin beds, one to either side of the small room. There was at least a foot and a half of space between them, that was separated by milk crates stacked up to the ceiling. Each crate holding one thing or other. On one side of the room, the walls were filled with sticky notes and random things. There were a few words written randomly, but beautifully, over the wall. At the foot of that bed was a closet that seemed to have been just a inch from touching the bed. To the otherside of the room, was little drawings, stuffed toys on shelves, keychains and necklaces thump tacked to the wall, and a mirror. Unlike the otherside, a small dresser was squeezed between the foot of the bed and the wall. Sasuke figured the only way to take it out was to take the bed apart.

The bed that a blonde layed upon, his back facing the rest of the room as a raven haired teen slept on the other bed, everything but his hair hiding beneath the blanket. Or he assumed it was a guy, since there seemed to be very little feminine touches anywhere. Quietly he moved to Naruto and awkwardly took a seat behind him. He knew Naruto wasn't asleep, the blonde made no move to pretend to be as he looked blankly at the wall in front of him. With the way he was curled into himself, Sasuke frowned in worry. Only people afraid or cold seemed to curl into such a position. The position was made for someone trying to comfort themselves or warm themselves up. Since the room was already at a decent temperature and Naruto showed no signs of looking sick, Sasuke assumed he was afraid. "Naruto?" he called softly.

"Why are you here?" Naruto asked just as quietly, his lips barely moving.

"I came to see you." Sasuke answered, moving closer so he could hear Naruto better.

"To make fun of me? Are you going to tell people where I live? That I'm poor?"

"What?" Sasuke blinked in surprise, jerking back. "Naruto I would never do something like that. I'm your best friend. Who makes fun of you? Tell me and I'll go kick their ass-"

"If Pain heard you cussing in front of me, he'd be mad." Naruto smiled softly, turning his head a little to look at Sasuke.

"From the size of your brother, I'd hate to make him mad. No offense, but your brother kind of scares me." at Naruto's look, he grinned sheepishly, "Okay scares me. There is no kind of about it."

"He scares a lot of people, that's why no one bothers us here. You should meet his friends, all of them together make people think twice about them." Naruto grinned, shifting a little. At his flinch, Sasuke frowned again.  
"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Naruto shrugged, and flinched again.

"Right because people flinch for nothing." Sasuke deadpanned. "Naruto, please, tell me."

"I just have a few bruises on my back-Sasuke!" he gasped, when he found himself on his stomach.

"Shush or you'll wake your roommate."

"Haku is out like a light. He wouldn't wake if a fire started underneath him because once he closes his eyes they won't open until an alarm goes off." Naruto said, trying in vane to keep his shirt down. "Sasuke-"

"Who did this?" Sasuke demanded, finding more then just a few bruises on the tan back. They were in the process of going away but the thought that this was worse and someone willing hurt his best friend pissed him off.

"No one." Naruto said softly, his head looking toward the raven on the other bed. "Just-"

"Naruto, these don't happen by nothing. It looks like someone beat you-"

"No one did." the blonde whimpered. "No one did it."

"Naruto..." unable to see the blonde cry, Sasuke wiped the tear away. "Please don't cry. I hate to see you cry." Not getting an answer, he went on, "And I really don't want to die by your brother. I was given a list of rules and one of them was not to make you cry. Do you hate me that much?"

"Pain wouldn't hurt a fly." Naruto said between tears, a grin appearing again.

"I wasn't saying anything about a fly. I'm talking about people here, me specifically." Sasuke went on, looking at the bruises that marred what was once perfect skin. Unable to stop himself, he bent down and gently kissed the biggest one.

"Sasuke..." Naruto gasped in shock. Instead of answering, Sasuke kissed another one. At each touch of Sasuke's lips on his back, Naruto felt his heart stop. He felt a warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach and he couldn't stop the raven if he tried.

"I don't like to see you hurt, Naruto." Sasuke said softly, moving to lay at the edge of the bed, his body turned to the blonde as their eyes met and held. "It makes me feel useless. I don't like to see you cry, Naruto. It breaks me. I don't like to see you anything but the happy teen in love with life."

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered in surprise when he found Sasuke's lips on his. Their lips only touching. With a soft release of air, Naruto closed his eyes and pressed his lips firmly against his best friend's after a small hesitation. He had never kissed anyone before, but he already knew that Sasuke would be the best one. Just this kiss was already making him feel dizzy. When the raven moved his lips against his own, Naruto mimicked him. He had never thought about Sasuke in such a way. Or dared to think of him as anything other then his best friend, but Naruto knew he'd never see Sasuke in the same light as before. Pulling back, Naruto panted slightly as he tried to breathe. Seeing Sasuke with his face flushed and his eyes glazed as he breathed heavily, Naruto grinned. Which soon turned into a chuckle and then full out laughter.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke demanded, blinking a few times as he got more comfortable on the bed.

"You are." Naruto laughed. "Your face is funny."

"If I wasn't so much of a man, with an ego to rival the earth, I'd be hurt." Sasuke commented, running a hand through Naruto's hair.

"You still look funny. Your face is all red." Naruto got out between breaths, turning his body slowly and gently to lay on his side as he faced Sasuke. Moving closer to the wall, he motioned for Sasuke to follow him.

"So is yours." Sasuke pointed out, unable to stop his hand from touching Naruto. There was always something about the blonde teen that called him in. That made him take notice. Naruto was the only one that made him laugh to the point of dying. Naruto made his day. A week without Naruto was torture. He had felt it first handed. Did that mean he loved his best friend? He cared for him deeply, would do anything to make Naruto happy, but did he love him? Looking into the blonde's gaze, full of happiness and laughter, Sasuke decided that maybe he did. Naruto was beautiful, inside and out. Naruto was... "Naruto?"

"Hmmm?" the blonde said trying to stop himself from laughing.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?" Sasuke asked softly, his eyes begging the blonde to say yes.


	6. Chapter 6

**6**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"You want me..." trailing off, Naruto blushed.

"Will you?" Sasuke asked when Naruto turned his gaze away. "We can still be friends, but we can be more. Boyfriends still has the word 'friend' in it."

Laughing slightly at Sasuke's sad attempt at a joke, Naruto turned his gaze shyly back and met Sasuke's own. He wasn't sure what brought this all out or why Sasuke would even want to date him. A boy with no money to his name, whos family was falling apart. He didn't see what Sasuke saw in him. He was nothing special. Sasuke could have done better then him. Could have found someone else. Someone that was from his world, more so then Naruto.

"Please?" Sasuke begged.

"I..." Naruto frowned. Was it his home? Did Sasuke feel sorry for him? Was that why he was asking him to be his boyfriend? Was this only out of pity? "Why?"

"Why?" Sasuke got out.

"Why do you want me to be your boyfriend? Why now?"

"Because...I really like you. You're special to me." Sasuke answered honestly.

"So this has nothing to do with where I live? Or how I live?" Naruto questioned, meeting his gaze angrily, a shimmer of sadness echoing after it.

"Why would that matter?"

"Sasuke, you and I known eachother for a long time. Why now? Why after you...why?"

"Because a week without you is painful." Sasuke said, running his hand gently over Naruto's cheek. "I don't want to go a week without you. A day without you...And I like kissing you. A lot."

"Sasuke!" Naruto gasped, blushing again when Sasuke grinned. "You can't say things like that!"

"That you're a good kisser?" Sasuke enquired. "Or that I like it a lot?"

"All of it." Naruto grumbled when Sasuke only laughed.

"If I have to go and ask Pain for your hand in dating, I will risk my life for it." Sasuke went on.

"You wouldn't." Naruto gaped. "Everyone's afraid of Pain. That's why Itach-, I mean."

"I know about Itachi and Deidara. My brother told me." Sasuke said wiping away the guilt all over Naruto's face with a brush of his finger. "Itachi said something along the lines of trying to break it to Pain that they've been dating...Would Pain be upset if he found out my brother was dating yours?"

"Pain's protective. He wants us all to be happy, but...he's been our dad for so long, he doesn't know how to let go of us." Naruto shrugged.

"Well, maybe you have to help him let go." Sasuke said.

"How?"

"Go out with me and tell your brother we're dating." Sasuke explained.

"...you're scared of my brother, huh?" Naruto grinned.

"Your brother looks like he can fight a whole army and win." Sasuke answered with a knowing attitude. "If you tell him we're dating, he can't hurt you. If I tell him, he'll rip me in half."

"But you said you'd do it. If you want me to be your boyfriend, you have to tell him. I won't date a baby." Naruto giggled.

"God, you really want to be a widow before you get a chance of being a wife." Sasuke grumbled earning a laugh from Naruto.

"Pain won't kill you." Naruto grinned, pleasure at hearing Sasuke talk about their future running through him. Did Sasuke really want to marry him one day?

"If I come back in body bags..." Sasuke pouted, sitting up and then, on an after thought, pulled Naruto along with him.

"Wh-"

"You are going with me. I will ask, but you will stand in front of me." Sasuke said turning him toward the door gently. "Mind you, I will face all other evils in the future, but your brother is not on that list. He's on the list of 'avoid at all cost unless you stand in front of me'."

"He's not that bad." Naruto tried to say only to shiver as Sasuke kissed the back of his neck. Opening the door to his room, he stepped out with Sasuke right behind him, the raven's hands on his waist. What he wasn't expecting was to run into someone else. "Omph!" he got out as two pairs of hands steadied him.

"Babe, you good?" Hidan questioned looking him over with concern. His body taking up the hallway much like Pain's had done, much to Sasuke's own concern. Especially when the silver haired twin giant looked from Naruto, to the hands on Naruto's waist, and then to Sasuke. Gulping slightly, Sasuke shakily stood his ground at the narrowed look he was getting. He knew this guy wasn't one of Naruto's brothers. It didn't take a genius to find out, but heck this guy seemed like an add on to Naruto's family.

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, rubbing his forehead. "Excuse us Hidan, but Sasuke's going to risk his life for me."

"Risk...why?" Hidan asked with a lifted brow, a smirk playing on his lips.

"He wants me to be his boyfriend." Naruto answered. At those words, the smirk disappeared completely and Hidan was now scowling at a shaky raven.

"Does he now..." Hidan growled, looking bigger. How was that possible! Sasuke screamed in his head. Wasn't there some kind of law that said people could only grow so big!

"Yep." Naruto nodded, smiling innocently up at the man as if no one's life was in danger. "He's going to ask Pain for permission to date me."

"Hmph." Hidan chuckled darkly, watching Sasuke with scary amused eyes. "Good luck, boy, you're going to need it."

"Hidan, Haku's still asleep, but I'm sure you can wake him up now." Naruto went on, not seeing, or just ignoring, the growing threat over Sasuke's life.

"How long has he been asleep?" Hidan asked, now looking concerend again as his gaze turned toward the lone figure in the room.

"Ummmm, a while." Naruto finally said. "I don't remember when he fell asleep. I'm sure it's been since breakfast. Maybe you should wake him so he can have lunch."

"I'll do that. Pain's in the living room with the others. Deidara's making lunch with Itachi's help." Hidan said moving aside to let Naruto and Sasuke squeeze through. "Luck to you raven." he chuckled darkly as he entered the room.

"Naruto, who are the others?" Sasuke asked after Hidan left them alone in the hallway.

"Oh, probably just Pain's and Hidan's work buddies. They're like a giant family. Maybe Kakashi too. No Kakashi would be at school. He doesn't miss since Pain got after him." Naruto answered and made his way slowly down the hallway, stopping at an open doorway to glance inside. Following his lead, Sasuke looked in and found a sickly thin red head fast asleep, blankets pulled around him as pillows prompt him up. His breathing was haggard but Sasuke assumed it was normal when Naruto made no move to start screaming for Pain or anyone else. "That's my brother Nagato. He got sick when he was seventeen. Now he stays in here all the time. The only time he leaves is when Deidara or Pain help him to the bathroom or to take a shower." Naruto whispered softly. "He's very smart but he gets tired quickly."

"Maybe you can introduce me to him when he wakes up?" Sasuke asked.

"He'll like that." Naruto smiled at him, taking his hand in his own and tugging him behind him down the rest of the hall. Turning the corner, Sasuke stopped when they gained the gazes of not one or two, but four giants. Pain being one of them. Who the other three were, he didn't know. He just felt like running when they all lost the relief look in their eyes at seeing Naruto, when they spotted their clasped hands. "Sasuke, you know Pain, my oldest brother. That's Kisame and Zabuza, he's Haku's brother. And that's Kakuzu ." Naruto pointed to everyone. Each standing as their names were said. "The only one missing is Zetsu...but Zetsu is weird so it's okay."

"H-hi." Sasuke waved awkwardly, stepping closer to Naruto's back, making sure not to press against him in fear of hurting him or being tackled away from him.

"Hmmmm." Came all of their responses, each looking like prison escapees. Their muscles bulging beneath their tight t-shirts. Shirts that would have swallowed Sasuke like a blanket, he might add. Heck their feet looked as big as his head. He was like a twig in a field of trees!

"Sasuke wants to ask you something Pain." Naruto went on, tugging Sasuke closer to his brother and farther into the half circle of crossed arm killers. He was just waiting for them to pull out their guns and start shooting him. They made the small living room look almost nonexistant. Off to the side, he could feel his brother's and Deidara gaze on him, neither looking as if they were going to help.

"Ask." Pain demanded in his killer voice.

"Ask?" Sasuke gulped looking ready to bolt at any second and if not for Naruto's hold on him, he probably would have.

"Sasuke?" Naruto frowned turning his whole body to look at him, not seeing the glares and even more narrowed I-will-kill-you-eyes the giants behind him sent. Oh god. For Naruto, he told himself.

"I, uh, you see...um...He...and...I want...Naruto..." Sasuke said unable to form his sentence correctly. Taking a breath and closing his eyes he said in a rush, "IwantNarutotobemyboyfriend!"

"You what!" Pain growled deciphering it before the others.

"Can I?" Naruto asked hopefully, turning back to face his big brother. Moving to stand in front of the giant of the giants, Naruto hugged his brother's waist, looking like a two year old hugging a mammoth. "Please, big brother."

"Naruto..." Pain said taking a breath, unable to deny Naruto much of anything. He would give Naruto the world if he could. Naruto was his pride and joy. He, Deidara, and Nagato were his precious people. He wanted the best for them...and the Uchiha prick had guts. To face off all of them and even utter the sentence, no matter how quickly, was shocking. He had guts and if Naruto wanted him...well he'd let him have him but Pain was going to keep a closer eye on his baby brother. Meeting the gaze of all his friends, he got a quiet nod and a raise of a brow from all of them. Turning to look down at his little angel, he knew he was done for. Those eyes were impossible to say no to. "If he hurts you babe, he's history."

"You mean it?" Naruto asked hopefully, his eyes filled with joy and not the pain that filled them hours ago. If this brat made his brother happy, chased away the sadness that always seemed to linger, then he'd accept the boy.

"Yes." he nodded, turning his gaze toward a shocked Sasuke. Letting the raven see the promise of death within his eyes if he made Naruto cry.

"Did you hear Sasuke? I can be your boyfriend!"

"Y-yeah." Sasuke nodded, looking ready to faint. As if finally deciding to rescue his brother, Itachi told them lunch was ready. Like one, all of the giants, minus Pain, moved to the counter and grabbed a plate filled with four sandwiches, a giant amount of chips, and two cans of pop a piece. Moving back to their spot on the couch and chairs, they turned their gaze toward the tv and got back to their game. Each accepting Sasuke since Pain did.

"Let's eat." Pain ordered, steering Naruto gently toward the counter and reaching out one hand to drag Sasuke. It wasn't really manhandling, more like...actually he didn't have a word for it. All he knew was that he wasn't going to fight Pain's hold and that he hoped his brother rotted in hell for this, because Itachi seemed to be enjoying this. With his eyes he told Itachi, his turn would be coming. At that Itachi lost his smirk and looked down at his own plate. Unlike the giants, the rest of the plates but two, held only one sandwich a piece and a small amount of chips.

When Pain grabbed his plate and drinks, he moved to his place in the living room, ignoring them all in favor of watching the game on tv.

"It wasn't so bad." Deidara whispered as he nibbled on a chip and turned to Itachi. "Sasuke came out alive."

"Sasuke came out, I might die." Itachi whispered back, going quiet when Hidan came to grab his plate and depositing a flushed Haku on one of the stools, his hair done up in a quick bun. "Haku?"

"I can't believe he saw me sleep." Haku glared at them as if it was their fault, his voice a quiet whisper. "What if I drooled?"

"You don't. You don't even move or snore." Naruto answered.

"Still...it's embarrasing when he wakes me up." Haku grumbled.

"He likes you." Deidara reminded him.

"If he liked me he'd ask me out." Haku grumbled as he took a peek at Hidan, his love interest watching the game like his life depended on it. "I had bed hair. That is beyond painful. I probably have morning breath or something."

"Nonsense, you look and smell fine." Deidara grinned, slightly moving closer to Itachi, just enough to go under Pain's radar.

"I have bags and don't say I don't. I saw myself in the mirror." Haku went on as he poked at his sandwich.

"You better eat, Hidan's looking over." Deidara stated softly.

With a jump, Haku picked up his sandwich and took a bite. He wasn't really hungry but he was not going to be embarrased again like the last time he didn't eat in Hidan's presence. Being force fed like a child...by his crush no less...

"Saved." Naruto giggled and turned to the door with a chip in hand when someone knocked. "I'll get it!" he shouted happily, being careful not to move so much when he felt the slight pinches in his back. Stuffing the chip in his mouth he opened the door and froze.

"Hey babe," came the soft call. "I've missed you."

"K-Kyuubi!"


	7. Chapter 7

**7**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Kyuubi was as big as Pain, Naruto finally decided after what seemed like hours of starring but was actually seconds. But unlike Pain, Kyuubi had more muscle and tattoos flowing down both arms, reaching just above his wrist. They continued up, ending on his neck, and Naruto knew they'd be on his chest and back. He bet Kyuubi also had some on his legs, but with the jeans in the way, he couldn't say for sure. He only had the whiskers on his face, the only tattoo that Naruto remembered.

Over all, Kyuubi looked like a murderer. He looked like he went searching for trouble and could kick the world and beat it down without breaking a sweat. And seeing all of this, Naruto loved his brother as much as he loved the others.

The next thing Naruto saw was the back of Pain's shirt, his oldest brother moving to stand between him and Kyuubi. He could feel the tension building between Pain and Kyuubi and he had no idea how to stop it. Feeling someone pull him gently farther inside, Naruto turned to see it was Kakuzu. In the space that opened up, all of Pain's friends moved in. "Stop!" he shouted, trying to get back through, trying to hear what his brothers were saying but unable to budge the others. "Please stop!"

"Naruto, why don't you go with Nagato?" Deidara suggested, his own eyes overwhelmed with tears. Even though Deidara spoke to him, Naruto could see the longing to pushed passed the others and move to see Kyuubi for himself. Deidara had missed him as much as Naruto, as much as the others, but because of wanting to keep Naruto happy, Deidara would pretened that he didn't have another brother beyond the ones he lived with.

"No! I want to see Kyuubi!" Naruto shouted, turning back to the group of guys between him and his brother. "Let me through! Please!"

"You heard him," Kyuubi growled. "Let me see him, you fucker."

"Get the hell out of here." Pain answered back. "He doesn't need to see you."

"He's my brother!" Kyuubi snarled, meeting Pain's eyes. He had longed to see his family and when they first refused to speak to him or answer his letters, he had been pissed. He had ignored them back, hated them with every second of his life until he saw a boy that reminded him of Naruto. The little boy looked nothing like Naruto, but for some reason, his baby brother had come to mind. He felt himself longing to see his baby brother, to talk to him and so tried harder to do so. He tried for years but Pain wouldn't let him. Finally he decided to come back. To see for himself that Naruto was okay.

"He's better off without you." Pain stated, the men at his back tensing when Kyuubi's fists clenched. "He doesn't need a pathetic low life like you near him. You will only hurt him Kyuubi-"

"I-"

"Don't deny it, you bastard." Pain bit out, his own body wishing to lash out at the brother he had and lost, that he loved with his whole heart and prayed was always okay, that he had forced himself to let go of for his family's sake. "The law is after your ass. Hell everyone in the blackmarket is after your ass. Do you really want Naruto to see you go to prison or die in front of him? To see Naruto dead by one of your 'friends'?"

"I just want to see Naruto." Kyuubi said, pulling back his pride and begging. "Let me see him, please."

"No." Pain answered. "Just disappear like you did before."

"Pain-"

"You saw enough of him already." Hidan said from behind Pain's right shoulder. "From where I'm standing, you got your wish, now get the fuck out."

"Kyuubi! Don't go!" Naruto cried from behind them all, his tears running down his face as he tried desperatly to pass the wall of bodies and get to his brother. "Please don't go!"

"Naruto, stop-"

"No!" Naruto shouted, pushing Deidara off of him. "Let go! Let go! Kyuubi! Don't go!"

"Naruto, it's best-"

"NO!" Naruto sobbed, trying even harder when both Haku and Deidara tried to calm him down. "NO! I WANT KYUUBI!"

"Naruto you're not a child. Stop acting like one." Kisame said, leaving no room for argument.

"Please, don't send him away." Naruto begged the man, "Please don't make him leave."

"I'm sorry Naruto," Kisame answered, shaking his head.

With trembling lips, Naruto ran to the kitchen, looking through the window and seeing Kyuubi being held off by Pain. Banging his fist against the window he called Kyuubi's name. When Kyuubi made to walk toward him, Kakuzu stepped in front of the window, blocking him. "No, no, no!"

"Naruto." Sasuke called, wrapping his arms soothingly around him.

Ignoring Sasuke, Naruto moved back to the door and shouted as loud as he could. "You're just like Daddy! Your just like him! He may have hit me but what you're doing hurts just as much, Pain!" he sobbed.

At Naruto's words, Kyuubi stilled and turned narrowed eyes on Pain. "Where the fuck is he." he asked softly, wanting to kill the man that gave him life. Wanting to beat him so badly that no one would ever recognize him. No one hurt Naruto. No one hurt his baby. Any who did, he'd kill them. He'd kill every damn fucking person if it meant Naruto's safety. "Tell me, Pain. Tell me or so help you god, I'll kick your ass."

"He isn't here." Pain answered, his eyes locked on the floor, Naruto's words replaying in his head. He was doing the right thing, why couldn't Naruto see that? "He's gone."

"Let me speak to Naruto." Kyuubi hissed in anger, looking as if he'd hit something. Pain highly doubted that the mention of what their dad did helped to fix his brother's mood. He wouldn't be surprised if once Kyuubi left, they'd find their dad on the news.

"No-"

"Let him in." Nagato called, causing everyone to turn toward him. Each of them shocked to find the very thin red head barely standing with the aid of the wall. His breath coming in shallow pants, his body trembling heavily.

"Nagato-"

"Pain," Nagato cut him off, taking a breath to speak. "Please let him in."

"If anything happens to my family, Kyuubi, your ass is history." Pain promised, turning his glare on his brother as Kisame went to help Nagato to sit on the couch.

Kyuubi glared back, shouldering Pain aside to enter the house. Right away, Naruto launched himself in his arms, cringing slightly when Kyuubi hugged him back. "Naruto?"

"I got bruises." the little blonde explained, not letting go, his arms circling as much of Kyuubi as he could reach. "I'm happy you came back." Naruto smiled, ignoring the angry frown on Kyuubi's face and the way his bother lifted the back of his shirt, gasping at the fading bruises on his back.

"Naruto." Kyuubi said, gently running his hand over some of them, before kissing Naruto's head, making a vow to himself that his dad was going to be a dead man, he'd get Shukaku to start looking. No one stayed hidden when Kyuubi wanted them. Lifting his gaze, he spotted Deidara standing in the kitchen with a few people he didn't know, which wasn't surprising because beyond his brothers, he knew no one. "Hello Dei."

"Hello." Deidara whispered back, his body stiff and unmoving.

Not liking that one bit, Kyuubi held out one hand, waiting for Deidara to come to him, almost afraid he wouldn't. After a long tense hesitation, Deidara took one small step forward before he ran toward Kyuubi, latching onto him and crying into his chest. Unable to hide his own tears, Kyuubi buried his face into Deidara's hair and held his brothers. Let himself finally see that he was holding them again. Everytime he had called, Pain or Deidara had answered. Pain always hung up and Deidara would argue with him until Pain hung up the phone. Mostly Deidara would try to get him to turn himself in or to please forget them if he couldn't change his ways. Each time Deidara would sound as if he was trying not to cry and Kyuubi knew it was Pain behind it all.

"Why are you here?" Nagato asked tiredly, bringing Kyuubi's eyes toward him. Just seeing the state his brother was in caused Kyuubi to flinch. Nagato looked worse then he did the last time he saw him. He looked like a skeleton barely hanging on. Nagato was one of the reason's he turned to the path he had chosen. His family's problems started it, but when he saw how much money he could make on that side of the law, he had jumped in without thought. He had doctors and scientist digging up on Nagato's condition, using whatever information Kyuubi could provide. He had people watching his family, protecting them and sending him updates, but it still wasn't enough. He needed a little more.

"You're my family." Kyuubi answered.

"You stopped being family the second you left." Pain snarled.

"You're wrong." Kyuubi glared back. He and Pain had never saw eye to eye. Why would it change now? He may have loved Pain, Pain may have loved him, but it didn't mean anything.

"Just get the hell out of our lives, and stay in whatever hole you claim as a home."

"Fine," Kyuubi said, running a hand soothingly through Naruto's hair.  
"Kyuubi?" Naruto said quickly, looking up in protest.  
"But this time when I leave, Naruto's coming with me."

"The fuck he is!" Pain shouted, moving to reach for Naruto. Only to come face to face with Kyuubi when both Naruto and Deidara were pulled behind him. "Move."

"No." Kyuubi smirked. "I won't let my brother live in a dump like this shit."

"You can't take him."

"He deserves better." Kyuubi stated, ignoring the shock coming from his baby brother.

"He won't get that with you." Nagato said. "Running from the law isn't a life I want for Naruto. You of all people shouldn't even want it for him."

"I have a school in mind I plan to put him in. It's one of the best-"

"You want to take him to a place he's never been before? To drop him off alone where he knows no one." Deidara asked, holding Naruto to his body and glaring at Kyuubi.

"He'll have a fucking better life. He won't live in this shit, eating fucking sandwiches all the damn time." Kyuubi said, kicking at a plate on the floor. "The school-"

"I don't want to go." Naruto said quietly, his eyes looking heartbroken and betrayed. "I don't want to be by myself."

"Naruto-"

"Don't make me, Kyuubi." Naruto begged, holding onto Deidara. "Don't make me be alone."


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Naruto," Kyuubi said in a soothing manner, taking a step closer to his younger brothers, "You won't be alone. You'll make lots of friends. You'll have a better education."

Instead of answering, Naruto hid his face in Deidara's chest, holding on for all that he was worth. He felt so pathetic. He felt like a child needing to be reassured that the boogyman wasn't real. He wanted to stand firm and tell Kyuubi no, wanted to be able to make his own choices without hiding behind one of his brothers, but he couldn't. The thought of being alone for any amount of time would kill him. He hated being alone. Hated the feeling of growing up with no one. Being alone was one of his biggest fears. Not having his brothers, his best friends, anybody he already knew...he couldn't do it.

"Nar-"

"He isn't going anywhere." Pain cut in, bringing relief like no other to Naruto. If his brothers stood beside him, Kyuubi couldn't make him leave. Pain would never send him away. His brother loved him. "I don't know what gave you this fucking idea, but get rid of it. No way in hell are you taking him!"

"He deserves better!" Kyuubi shouted back, causing Naruto to flinch. With Deidara holding him closer, and Pain standing between him and Kyuubi, Naruto tried to calm his panic. He couldn't go to a new school. He'd have no one to protect him. He'd have no friends. He wouldn't have his brothers. "You all do! Damn it Pain! Can't you see what I'm trying to do!"

"Explain how taking him away will do anything!"

"Everything would be better! You won't have to work as much as you do! You wouldn't have to go from sleep to work and work to sleep! Nagato can go to a hospital where they can run test instead of staying in bed and getting worse! Deidara can go full time to school and get his degree faster!"

"And how the fuck does taking Naruto away change all this!" Pain practically snarled. "How does putting him in a school fix this!"

"With Naruto in a good school, one where we know he'll get an education and that will keep him safe, you can stop working two-three jobs of backbreaking work. Nagato won't feel trapped here and would be okay with being in a hospital. And Deidara doesn't have to keep giving up his life! You guys won't have a burden anymore!" Kyuubi growled. With those words, the room went completely silent.

Naruto felt as if his heart stopped. As if his world was cracking to pieces. Everything Kyuubi said was true. Every word he uttered was real. If not for him, Pain could give up another of his jobs and work only one. If not for him, Nagato would have been in a good hospital years ago and probably already be healed. If not for him, Deidara would have been in full time college and not playing mom. If not for him, everyone would have a better life. Would have been happier. No one could deny it. The truth was the truth for that reason.

"I'm sorry." he whispered to Deidara, letting his arms drop from around his brother. He couldn't look at anyone, couldn't let them see his eyes. If he did, he'd break out crying. It was his fault. It was his fault that his brothers suffered. Everything was his fault. He didn't deserve his brothers. Didn't deserve his friends. Didn't deserve Sasuke. He'd only mess up their lives. Kyuubi was right, he should go to the school. Let everyone forget about him. Let them all move on with their lives. "I didn't mean-"

"No Naruto." Deidara cut him off, trying to hold him close.

"I'm sorry." he said again, pulling farther away from Deidara.

"Naruto I didn't mean it like that." Kyuubi said quickly. "I didn't mean it that way."

"Naruto," Pain said, trying to get Naruto to look at him, "babe, it's not that way. I don't-"

"I'm sorry." Naruto said again, pulling away from Pain, from everyone. Ignoring everyone that tried to touch him, pulling away when they did. "I didn't mean to."

"Naru-"

"I'll go pack my bag." Naruto cut Nagato off. Biting his lip to stop the cries from coming out, Naruto ran to his room and shut the door. Looking around, he tried to figure out what to pack. What to take. Maybe he should leave it here. His brothers could sell it and get money out of it. He could help repay them this way. He screwed up their lives enough, he could at least do this. Holding his fist to his eyes, he tried to stop the tears that continued to fall.

"Naruto!" Pain said, pushing open the door and pulling him into a hug. "Babe, you're not a burden. You're my baby brother. I'll always protect you. I'm not letting you go. Do you hear me. I don't give a damn what Kyuubi says, he's wrong."

"If not for me-"

"No, Naruto. He's wrong. Babe, listen to me. I won't let you go. You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing to feel guilty over. Our lives would still be the same. They'd probably be worse with you gone."

"It's my fault. Everything-"

"NO! I don't ever want to hear you say that again!" Pain growled, forcing him to look up. "Babe, I'm so proud of you. Nothing you ever do will ever be wrong in our eyes. Nagato, Deidara, and I...Naruto...you belong with us. You'll always belong with us. I can't let you go. Not yet. I won't let you go to this school. This is where you belong."

In his brother's eyes, Naruto was stunned to see tears building. Pain never cried. Pain was always firm or laughing when it was just them on Sunday. Pain never cried, and he was crying because of Naruto.

"I have to go." Naruto said, hating how he hung onto Pain. Hating how he made his brothers suffer no matter what he did. "You'll be better-"

"No, damn it Naruto! You're not going anywhere. You're staying here with us. I'm not letting you go!" Pain growled, ignoring the first tear that fell down his face. "You aren't our burden. You're our pride and joy. You're the reason we are happy with our lives. If you leave, everything would be broken."

"No, it'll get fixed." Naruto sobbed, hiding in Pain's chest.

"No!" Pain snarled. "No!" In the background, he heard Deidara going off on Kyuubi, heard the guys shouting at Kyuubi to leave. Heard Nagato telling Kyuubi he should never have come. Pain would let them deal with their bastard of a brother, and he'd show Naruto why he couldn't leave. "What about Sasuke?" he said desperatly, trying to think of anything to show Naruto that nothing was wrong with their lives. That everything was just fine. "You just want to leave Sasuke? You guys just got together."

"I don't want to hurt him." Naruto whispered.

"You can't hurt him babe. Only if you leave, will you hurt him." The thought of Naruto leaving put a hole in his chest. Pain couldn't imagine life without his baby brother. Without Naruto...then there was nothing. If not for Naruto, Pain might as well give up. Everything he did and accomplished this far in life was to make sure Naruto had a better life. He didn't hate his jobs. He hated that they took so much time away from his brothers, but Pain didn't hate them. He knew Nagato should have been admitted to a hospital a while ago, but their brother refused. It wasn't because he felt like he needed to be there for Naruto, but because Naruto's innocents, laughter, ways, made it easier to live. If Nagato was in a hospital, Pain knew that he wouldn't last long within one. Nagato had admitted that if he was stuck in a cold white room, he might as well be dead. Deidara went part time to college, he played mom to all of them, but Deidara had no problem with it. Deidara liked being the boss of all of them. It was in his nature to mother them. That and Deidara couldn't stand the thought of going full time to college. He liked his schedual, liked the easy way things moved. Liked that he had so much time with Naruto. All three of them relied so much on their baby brother to keep them sane.

"Kyuubi doesn't know what he talking about." Pain went on when Naruto just cried into his chest. "He doesn't understand what he's saying. He's seeing things from an outside point of view, not from our eyes. Don't you see? If you left, what would we do?" before Naruto could say anything, Pain decided to use guilt a different way, "I'd work more. I'd probably never be home. Why would I want to be? My baby brother would be gone from our eyes, and I'd have no one to want to come home too. Nagato would become depressed. He wouldn't want to eat, to talk to anyone, to do anything. He'd waste away in his room because no one would be here to make him laugh, to make him use his brain the way you do when he helps with your homework. Deidara wouldn't be the same. He'd probably end up the worst of all of us. Deidara depends on you to make him happy. He loves being mom to you. And Sasuke? You just want to break his heart? He went through a lot to become your boyfriend and you just want to leave him? Who would he have then? No one. That's who."

"No," Naruto shook his head, his little body trembling as the tears continued to fall, but he wasn't sobbing anymore. For that Pain let out a breath of relief.

"What do you mean no?" Pain asked softly, picking Naruto up as if he was a child and moving to sit on Deidara's bed. When it shifted and groaned under him, Pain prayed for it not to break. With Naruto sitting across his laps, Pain kissed his baby brother's hair and ran a soothing hand down his back. "Naruto?"

"He could have Kabuto." Naruto whispered.  
"Who's that?"

"Another boy at our school. He likes Sasuke. He doesn't like me though..."

"Why not?" Pain said, narrowing his eyes. If this Kabuto was doing anything to Naruto, Pain wouldn't give a damn if the kid was a minor, he'd beat the hell out of him.

"He says that Sasuke should be with him and not me. He says that I don't deserve Sasuke as a friend and that I'm just a loser ruining everything. He's not very nice to me." Naruto admitted, not really thinking about what he was just saying. Uncaring of anything he had tried to hide since he met Kabuto because he was too numb to care. If three people said he was a burden or didn't belong, it had to be true, right? He heard it from Kabuto. He heard it from his Dad. And now he heard it from Kyuubi. "He's mean when no ones around. Everyone likes him, though, because he's nice to them."

"Has he put his hands on you?" Pain asked softly, knowing that if he spoke any louder, he'd scare Naruto. When Naruto nodded, Pain took a deep breath to try and calm himself and see pass the red. "How long has he been doing this?"

"Since I started this year."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Pain whispered, uncurling his fist. Getting a shrug in response, Pain took a deep breath. "Tomorrow, I'm going to go to the school. I'm going to have a talk with the principal and I'm going to straighten everything out, okay?" getting another nod, Pain took another deep breath. He'd talk to the principal, and then he'd talk to the kid. No one messed with his baby. "I'm here for you Naruto, if you ever need me, I'll always be here. I won't ever abandon you or leave you. From now on, if you need to talk to me, or need me for anything no matter how small, call me, okay. I don't care if I'm at work, I'll leave the second you tell me to come to you." When Naruto didn't respond, Pain sighed softly. "Don't listen to Kyuubi, that shit for brains doesn't understand. Babe, he hasn't been here, or part of us, for years. He thinks he knows what's best, but he never will. Only we will."

Still Naruto didn't respond. "Babe, we're fine the way we are. Do you want to go to that school? Is that why you won't answer me?" Pain asked, fearing the answer. If Naruto said yes...if he insisted on going, Pain would let him. He wanted Naruto to be happy, but if his baby brother thought that this would make them happy, Naruto would say he'd be happy in going. Pain knew that one day Naruto would go off to college, or leave to go on his own, but Pain didn't want him to go yet. He wanted as long as he could with his baby brother, with all of his brothers. He wanted them as they were before their mom died. Happy and carefree.

He was tired of the shit they kept getting, but seeing Naruto, Deidara, Nagato, everyone laughing or smiling always reminded him that this was their life now, and they were okay. Just seeing them happy, always made him happy.

Even if he dreamed of what life would have been like, had his mom lived, Pain knew that dreams were just that. Not all of them where meant to be achived. Some of them where just meant to be half reached. Some where meant to be changed for something else. Life gave what one could stand, or so his mom used to say. He lived by her words, and he'd go on living by her words. But if Naruto left, what was left for them to live for?

"No, I don't want to go. I want to stay with you forever." Naruto said into his chest. "But if it's better-"

"It won't be." Pain assured him, grinning as Naruto said the words he wanted to hear. "It'll always be better here."

"Pain?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Do you think if Mom lived and Dad wasn't a drunk...that if Kyuubi never left...would everything have been better?"

"We won't ever know." Pain said, surprised that Naruto had just spoken what he, himself, was just thinking. "Some things aren't meant to be, babe."

"What about the other things?" Naruto yawned, feeling beyond exhausted. Feeling as if he ran a million miles nonstop.  
"Those are for us to find out." Pain whispered, as he stood up. Seconds later, Naruto found himself being layed upon his bed and Pain pulling a blanket over him.

"Promise everything is okay." Naruto begged, forcing his eyes to stay open as he met his brother's.

"So long as you're with us, everything is perfect." Pain smiled softly at him.

"I don't want to go." Naruto whispered, already fading away. "I don't want Kyuubi to go either."

"Neither do I, babe, but somethings aren't meant to happen the way we want them. Everything will fix itself, I promise you."

"Will Daddy come back?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay." was all Naruto said before he fell asleep.

**x**

Closing the door behind him, Pain moved away from Naruto's room, heading toward a living room that was completely quiet. Turning the corner, he was surprised to find that the only ones in the room were Deidara and Nagato. "Where is everyone?"

"Kyuubi left. Everyone else kind of followed him a few minutes afterwards. Nagato asked them all to go." Deidara said tiredly as he ran his hands over his face, pushing his hair back. "Kyuubi said he'd be back though, but he's going to take care of a few things first. He said he knows he's right about the school, but he's not. Why can't he see that?"

"He's always been like this." Nagato sighed. "Acting before he thought things completely through. He probably just thought of this on the spur of the moment and convinced himself that it's the perfect solution." with a snort, Nagato rested his head against the arm of the couch, "Can you imagine you not working? Me in the hospital? Deidara in college full time?"

"Boring." Deidara laughed, not because it was funny, but because he couldn't do anything else. "I barely want to go the few hours I do go. I've never thought of Naruto as a burden. Why would Kyuubi say such a thing?"

"Because he's an ass." Pain growled. "God this has been a week like no other. World, is there anything else you'd like to give us? Just send them through the door, we've been giving everything else, just hit us all at once." he said to the ceiling of their home. It wasn't much of a home, but it was comfortable and it was theirs. They had a bit of money saved up to move to another house, one a lot nicer if they wanted, but...what was stopping them? Maybe it was time to leave this place. Without their dad milking them for every penny, or trying to hide that they had money, they could finally get a place closer to Naruto's school. One in a safer neighborhood. He knew Deidara and Nagato would be all up for it, hell, Naruto would probably love the thought of finding a house.

"We'll so far, we've lost our dad. Then Naruto gets a boyfriend. Pain is cursing up a storm. Kyuubi comes back to try and get Naruto to leave...did I miss anything?" Nagato asked, counting off on his fingers.

"Yeah," Deidara said, looking at the floor and shifting slightly when both Nagato and Pain looked at him.

"Well?"

"I...um...you see...uh...and..."

"Deidara?"

"Itachi and I...we're...you know...we're, um..."

"Dating?" Nagato supplied with a lift of his lips.

"You and...Itachi?" Pain gaped in shock, already seeing red. How dare that bastard think to date his brother without asking first! Who did he think he was! What if he was taking advantage of Deidara! Why didn't he ever see it! Deidara did say Itachi was his best friend after Haku. Deidara did stand a little closer to that asshole. Itachi was a dead man!

"Yeah." Deidara flushed. "We've been dating for a while now. And-how did you know?" Deidara gaped at Nagato.  
"Why didn't you tell me!" Pain hissed in annoyance at his brother. He could just throttle Nagato. The list was getting longer by the second.

"I know things and it's not your business. Deidara would have told you eventually." Nagato grinned. "Naruto actually told me. I tricked him into it, so don't get mad." he told Deidara.

"What do you mean?" Deidara asked with narrowed eyes.

"I was helping him with his homework but he wasn't concentrating. He seemed like he had the world on his shoulders. I asked him what was wrong but he wouldn't say. So I let it go and then causally mentioned a few things, trying to get Naruto to talk. When I got certain answers, I lead him the rest of the way and he told me. Then he felt so ashamed of himself and said he betrayed you. I told him you wouldn't be angry at him, and that it was okay. I said I wouldn't tell Pain, since that was probably why you kept it a secret. After a few hours of telling him he had nothing to be worried or ashamed about, Naruto calmed down and we went on like nothing happened."

"God, you are such a jerk." Deidara grinned. "I could just hit you or something."

"Please don't, I'm delicate." Nagato said, making a pitiful expression causing the other two to laugh. "Okay so anyone else have a confession?"

"Yeah, two." Pain said, "One: we're moving to a house closer to Naruto's school, a better one."

"Always wanted a better house." Deidara grinned, "We should all go searching after Naruto gets out of school."

"Sounds like a plan." Nagato nodded, "I wouldn't mind leaving the house for the first time in years. What's the second thing?"

"Are you guys up for visiting me in prison?" Pain asked.

"Prison? What?" both of the others said as one.

"I plan to kill me a kid in highschool." Pain hissed.


	9. Chapter 9

**9**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

The next morning, Naruto was shocked to see Pain waking him up for school. What was more surprising was that Pain was going to be taking him to school. When Naruto asked about his work, his oldest brother just grinned and said he was on a two week vacation from both jobs. Eating breakfast with all of his brothers was perfect. Naruto had never felt so happy to have everyone with him. He had a week amount of school work to catch up on, but Nagato said he called the school and said that if all the teachers could have his work ready in the office, Pain would bring it back home for him. Even that couldn't damper his joy of that morning. Why would it? He had all his brothers close, even if one wasn't there. He wasn't getting sent away and he had a boyfriend. How his best friend went to a boyfriend, Naruto wasn't sure, but he knew he didn't mind.

Then as Naruto was leaving with Pain, before saying good-bye to his other brothers, Pain asked him if he would like to live closer to his friends. At Naruto's confusion, his brother said that they planned to move away from their home and into a bigger better one. When Pain said that he could have his own room, Naruto asked if he could still share with Deidara instead. Deidara said that they could share any room they wanted. At that, Naruto couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't wait to go house hunting with his brothers. Even Nagato was going to go. For the first time in years, Nagato was going to leave the house!

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?" Naruto answered when Pain parked by the office of the school.

"Do you remember what you told me yesterday?"

How could he forget? His converstation with Pain was the first thing on his mind. And when Pain said he was coming with him to school, it wasn't hard to figure out why. The only thing that kind of worried him was the uncertainty of what would happen afterwards. Would Kabuto become worse or would the school call him a liar and side with Kabuto? Would he lose his friends? Would Sasuke believe him or believe Kabuto?

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, playing with the zipper on his bag.

"It'll be okay, alright. No matter what happens, everything will be okay."

"What if my friends get angry? They're all friends with him." Naruto whispered. "What if they don't believe me?"

"If they get angry, they weren't really your friends. Then I'll come in and take care of them too. That's what big brothers are for." Pain smiled at him, rubbing a hand through Naruto's hair. "But I know Sasuke won't turn on you, nor will the others. Now come on, I got a boy to terrify and a principal that better be shaking in his boots when I'm done with him."

Laughing, Naruto got out of the car and waited for his brother to come around. With his brother's arm around his shoulder, he walked toward the entrance as people stopped to stare at them. Pain would always gather everyone's attention. Especially when he wore clothes that screamed dangerous. Wearing full black, with sunglasses in place, and fingerless gloves kind of gave people the wrong idea, or the right idea. Because Naruto was more then certain that Pain wanted this reaction.

"Not a bad school. Can't believe I've never seen it before. It's big. I know it has good teachers too. That's the whole reason I let Deidara sign you up here. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's the best school ever." Naruto nodded as they moved passed the doors. "How come your friends are here?" he frowned spotting Hidan, Kakuzu, Kisame, Zabuza, and even Zetsu leaning against the wall opposite of the office entrance, just watching kids going by. All of them had the same aura as Pain. Each of them standing with arms crossed over their chest and legs braced, looking as if they had all the time in the world. All of the students, even teachers, paused at the sight of them, each of them freezing in shock and slight fear, none seeming to want to move on or able to move on. Who was working the shop if they were all here? Was it a holiday?

When Kakashi came around the corner, the teacher paused, papers in hand as he took everyone in. "Care to explain?" he asked as he walked closer.

"No." Pain growled as he steered Naruto toward the office. "Kakashi?"

"Yeah?" the man said warrily as the other men moved off the wall, causing people to take a few steps back. Naruto spotted Kiba standing in the group with Shikamaru and Neji. Coming from the otherside, he saw Gaara pause beside Sasuke, both looking as if they just arrived at the school.

"Find me a kid."

"Why?" Kakashi asked, only to hold his hands up in the air at Pain's glare. "Who?" he said instead.

"One named Kabuto. That little bastard better be in the office in five seconds." Pain growled, sending shivers down the crowds spine.  
"Five seconds is a bit of a chal-Five seconds? Not a problem. I'll have him in three." Kakashi said quickly. "Anyone seen Kabuto? Anyone?" he called out looking around.

"Come on Naruto."

"You're not going to really have the principal shaking in his boots are you?"

"We'll see how he handles this." Pain answered, glaring at the students and ushering Naruto passed the entrance of the office. Naruto half expected Pain's friends to follow, but all just took a spot outside the door. "Out." Pain ordered a few students watching him from within. Without a second word, all of them went running out of the office, leaving the poor secutary to handle Pain.

"Ca-can I help you?" Shizune asked in slight awe and fear of Pain.

"Principal." Pain said, meeting her gaze and causing a slight flush to spread over Shizune's face.

"He's not here today. Won't be here for another week." she said, "The vice is in charge in his place."

"Then take me to him."

"Her."

"Now!" Pain bit out causing Shizune to jump and let out a sqeak. With a shaky nod, she turned around and almost ran to the vice principal's office.

"Ma'ma, someone's here to see you."

"Go away." came the female's reply.

With a glare in place, Pain pushed passed Shizune, "My brother called in and told the school to have Naruto's last week's work here."

"It is." Shizune nodded quickly, shaking like a leaf.

"Give it to Kisame." was all Pain said as he pushed open the door and stalked inside with Naruto right behind him.

**x**

"Who's that with Naruto?" Gaara asked out of the side of his mouth, watching the red head leading their young friend away. When the wall of muscles took the place of the windows and doors to the office, Gaara looked at them instead. "And them?"

"That was Naruto's brother." Sasuke said quietly, feeling the fear of Naruto's brother hitting him full force again. "The oldest one."

"You're shitting me." Kiba gaped coming over to them with Shikamaru and Neji. "That's Naruto's brother! He's huge! He's like ten of me! God, he could probably knock me out with a damn pinky finger!"

"You'd freak if you met Kyuubi then." Sasuke said warily, thinking of what happened yesterday. Who knew that so much would happen in one day. And the thought of Naruto almost leaving...Sasuke couldn't have that. He loved Naruto. He wasn't going to lose him to another place.

"Who's that?"

"The brother he hardly speaks about." was all Sasuke said seeing Kyuubi in his mind. If he thought Pain was scary, Kyuubi had him beat. Kyuubi was the monster under the bed...no that was too tame. He was like the damn king of hell. Looking like an escaped convict with all the tatts and the scars. Sasuke was already seeing the fight that almost happend once Naruto ran out of the room. He tried to follow him, but Itachi kept him back and told him that it wasn't his place. Instead both had forced themselves to stand back as Deidara went off on Kyuubi and Nagato had thrown in a few things. A few times it looked like Kyuubi would hit Deidara, Itachi had even tensed to go to his rescue. Instead, one of Pain's friends had always stepped up to Kyuubi and pushed him back. They were all big, but only Kisame seemed to be about Kyuubi's size. Kakuzu was close, followed by Zabuza, and then Hidan. To think that Kyuubi was the brother that Naruto had missed so much and that Deidara looked ready to murder.

"You met his brothers?" Kiba gaped at him in shock. "How?"

"I went to Naruto's house. And yes, I met all of them." Sasuke answered, watching as Shizune fearfully handed a packet of papers to Kisame before quickly backing up and running back into the office. "And only two scare the hell out of me."

"You never answered who they were." Gaara said nodding toward the group of giants that seemed to have the whole school watching them cautiously. If Sasuke didn't know them, sort of, he would have thought that they were going to take over the school and start killing people.

"You could say they're Naruto's extended family." Sasuke said after a while. "I wonder why they're all here." They couldn't be here to tell the principal to watch him and Naruto, could they? Naruto said Pain was protective, but that was a little over the top! Hell, they barely started dating! They hadn't even told anyone they were together!

"Why is Kabuto being pulled along behind Kakashi?"  
"I have no idea." Neji answered Shikamaru, all of them watching as the teen was pulled forward by Kakashi and deposited in front of the group.

"There you go boys. This is Kabuto." Kakashi said with a grin in place.

"This is the little bastard?" Hidan glared hatefully at Kabuto, making Sasuke wonder why anyone would hate the teen. Kabuto was a role model student. Did everything right and wouldn't hurt anyone. He went out of his way to keep the school clean, even going so far as to start up a club about collecting trash and recycling. He helped new kids find their way around school. Helped students that didn't quite grasp the information the teachers where telling them. Stopped fights before they could happen. Heck if someone was said an angel lived, Sasuke would have to say Kabuto was it. Kabuto couldn't be mean if he tried, gaining friends out of enemies. So why did these guys seem to hate him?

"Sir, please do not use foul language within this scho-"

"Shut the fuck up." Hidan cut Kabuto off, sneering as the teen paled and tried to take a step back, but Kakuzu, who somehow moved behind him, stopped him from going too far. "Your little ass is history, you little shit. No one messes with our baby and thinks to get away with it."

"Baby?" Kabuto frowned in confusion as Sasuke gaped in surprise. They thought Kabuto was bullying their baby? What baby?

"Little fucker's game is good." Zabuza said, his eyes telling Kabuto that he was a dead man.

"You guys this is a school-"

"Kakashi go teach a damn fucking class already." Hidan growled, reaching out to grasp Kabuto by the shoulder. "This little ass is coming with me." With that Hidan practically dragged Kabuto into the office, slamming the door behind him and ignoring Kabuto's demands of being set free.

"That is harrasment." Kakashi gasped in shock as the Zetsu blocked his path from following. "You guys can't come in here-"

"Anyone that messes with Naruto is a dead man." Kisame said, cutting Kakashi off.

"Naruto?" Kakashi said at the same time that Sasuke did.

Moving forward, Sasuke pushed passed the crowd and stood beside his teacher. "What do you mean Naruto? What's going on?"

"Listen up, kids." Kakuzu said, sounding like hell was coming through. "All of you, and I mean all of you, whoever touches a hair on Naruto's head, whoever tries to bully him, whoever even thinks about pushing him or shoving passed him, we'll know. This one is lucky it's us that found out about him."

"You have to have the wrong kid." Sasuke said in shock. Kabuto was bullying Naruto? That wasn't possible. Kabuto was always kind and caring toward the little blonde. "Kabuto-"

"Is that so?" Kakuzu smirked cruely, meeting Sasuke's gaze. "Naruto named his bully yesterday, pretty boy. Unless there's another Kabuto, then this one is it."

"Naruto can't have a bully. No one would bully him!" Sasuke said quickly.

"If you're wrong? What then?" Kisame asked Sasuke. "If Naruto made it all up?"

"Naruto doesn't make up stories, but Kabuto isn't a bully. I know Kabuto-"

"You know Kabuto? Funny, because I don't think you really do."

"But-"

"Naruto doesn't make up stories." Kakuzu said repeating his words. "Why are we here?"

"Because if Kyuubi heard first, Kabuto wouldn't have made it to school." Kisame smirked. "Maybe I'll give him a call or something."

"Kyuubi's here?" Kakashi gasped. "When? Does Naruto know-"

"See what happens when you miss out on family reunions?"

**x**

"I demand you set me free this instant! I will call the police!" Naruto heard Kabuto shouting as he came closer to the door. So far Tsuande and his brother had done nothing but glare at one another. When Tsunade asked them to leave, Pain had told her no and sat Naruto in one seat and moved to stand behind him. The silence had continued until now.

"What is going on?" Tsunade frowned, moving to stand.  
"Is that him?" Pain asked.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, looking down at his lap. When the door was opened, Kabuto came flying in, catching himself on the Tsuande's desk.

"Ms. Tsunade, I demand you call the police and set this animal in jail." Kabuto demanded, not having seen Pain or Naruto yet.

"Boy, the fucking place is like my second home." Hidan chuckled, leaning against the door frame.

"What is going on here? Who are you people? Why are you manhandling my students!" Tsuande shouted.

"I want that fucker expelled. Then I'm going to place charges on him and his fucking family." Pain said evenly, bringing Kabuto's gaze toward him.

When Kabuto saw Naruto then glanced up toward Pain, he visibly paled. Losing all the fight he had in him. He reminded Naruto of a deer in the headlights of a car.

"You see me, kid?" Pain asked Kabuto quietly. Getting a nod, Pain went on. "I'm Pain, Naruto's oldest brother. I didn't get that name for being sweet. That man and the other men outside are also part of Naruto's family. And the thing about family is you fuck one over, we fuck you over. Understand?"

Nodding again, Kabuto gulped. "Tell the nice lady why you're here." When Kabuto took too long ot reply, Pain snarled, "Now!"

"I...I...I..."

"Gentlemen-"

"If you ever lay a hand on my brother again I'll fucking kill you." Pain growled, cutting Tsuande off again. "If my brother ever comes home again with a story of what you did to him or how you treated him, your ass is history. If you think to do anything to him in the future, I'll fuck you over. If you think to come between him and Sasuke, I'll fuck you over more. By the time I'm done with you, your corpse will be rotting in a ditch."

"Threatening to kill a student is a captial offense-"

"Only if they speak of it. You going to speak?" Pain asked Kabuto.

Getting a quick negative shake, Pain smirked. "What of you vice? You going to speak?"

"It's my duty-"

"Try me bitch. Your fucking student is lucky he's still standing. That he's still alive to piss himself." Pain sneered as he looked at Kabuto's slacks. "This is a warning to him, to you, and anyone that tries to hurt my brother. I will be back and next time someone is going down." Placing his hands on Tsuande's desk, Pain grinned cruely, causing Tsuande to sit back quickly. Without saying anything, Pain curled his fingers around the edge of the desk and began sqeezing. When the sound of wood cracking and breaking filled the room, Tsuande, Kabuto, and Naruto watched in shock as the desk gave in to Pain's strength. Standing up, Pain dusted his hands off, uncaring of the prints he left in Tsuande's desk. "You have a good day, Ms. Tsunade. You, I don't even want to see here tomorrow or any day after. I want you gone." he told Kabuto.

"O-okay." Kabuto nodded, tears building in his eyes. "I'm sor-"  
"Sorrys are for fuckers that know they're going to die. Are you going to die, Kabuto?" Hidan casually asked.

"N-nnno." Kabuto answered.

"Pain?" Naruto whispered looking at his brother's hands, almost as if he was seeing them for the first time.

"Come on babe, lets get you to class. I don't want you to be late." Pain smiled gently at him, grabbing his bag, and helping him to stand. "Hidan make sure this one cleans out his locker."

"By the time he's done, it'll be crystal clean." Hidan smirked, walking passed them to drag Kabuto back out of the room.

"Ms. Tsunade." Pain nodded his head toward her, leading Naruto after them. Once in the hallway, Naruto couldn't force himself to look up. He knew the whole school was watching him, but he didn't want to see their faces. "Sasuke," Pain called, making Naruto jump. "I believe you have the first class with my brother."

"Y-yes." he heard Sasuke answer.

"Take him to class. I don't want him to be late. Naruto, babe, I'll see you after school, alright?"

"Okay." Naruto nodded. Getting a kiss on his forehead, Naruto watched as Pain left. Feeling a few more kisses on the back of his head, Naruto saw the rest, but Hidan, leaving right after his brother.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said quietly, standing in front of him. "Is it true? Did Kabuto..."

"I'm sorry." Naruto whispered. "I knew he was your friend, but he wasn't mine."

"Was he the one that ruined your homework?" Kiba asked coming up to him.

Nodding, Naruto waited to see what his friends would do. Would they believe him? Or call him a liar? Would they turn on him? He was sure he had enough time to run after Pain and go home with his brother. Or he could go find Hidan and Hidan would take him home.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Sasuke said, putting an arm around his shoulder and pulling him into a hug. "You should have told me. If I knew..."

"You wouldn't have believed me."

"I...maybe not, but I would have as soon as I remembered you didn't tell stories or lies." Sasuke promised him. "Never again will you keep this from me. Anything like this from me."

"Us." Kiba growled. "God, I just want to fuck Kabuto up-"

"I'm sure Naruto's brother took care of it. Did you see Kabuto?" Neji said. "He looked nasty and smelled like urine."

"Alright, everyone get to class." Tsuande said standing in the hallway, looking slightly pale. "We have things to do and none of it is getting done here."

"Come on, we still have to go to our locker." Sasuke said, smiling softly at Naruto. Not even a second later, Sasuke grabbed his hand and held it all the way to their lockers. With a small smile on his face, Naruto just walked beside him quietly.


	10. Chapter 10

**10**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"So you and Naruto..." Gaara said, pulling his gym shirt on as he stood beside Sasuke. The tone of his voice letting Sasuke know that Gaara wanted to know how long they had been going out.

To be honest, Sasuke was kind of surprised that not many people seemed to notice that he and Naruto were a couple now. Everyone in the school was more obsessed with Naruto's brother and the others. The group of men were all the school could talk about. Rumors were already spreading throughout the school about their backgrounds and their real connection to Naruto. Some were even saying that they were holding Naruto hostage and abusing him.

Then you throw in Kabuto and the shock of him being a bully of all things and the school was going crazy. Some of the students were saying that Naruto was making it all up and the other half was saying they knew something was wrong with the teen. A few students were coming forth and saying they were being bullied by him but the majority of them were kids that thrived on being the center of drama so no one even paid them any mind beside the, 'I see, but did you know that Naruto...' and on it would go. So by the fourth period, people had Naruto as this innocent, broken victim being abused at every turn.

Sasuke didn't care for any rumors. The only thing he cared about was Naruto and knowing that for the majority of their first year in highschool, Kabuto had been his personal tormenter. It pissed Sasuke the fuck off that he knew nothing about this and every kind thing he did for Kabuto should have been served with a punch to the face. It sickened him to know that he once considered Kabuto a good friend, even inviting him to places with their group to hang out. That everytime the guys had gotten together, Kabuto was trying to fill in Naruto's place and shoving it in Naruto's face, since Naruto very rarely went anywhere with them.

It hurt him to know that Naruto didn't trust him enough to tell him about what was going on. He wanted to be angry at that but Sasuke couldn't. Naruto wasn't at fault. He did what any teen would do when they were the victim. They hid and pretended nothing was wrong just to survive. Well Naruto wasn't going to be anyones victim anymore. Not if Sasuke had anything to say about it.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, remembering Gaara's question.

"How long?"

"Yesterday."

"Seems a lot of things happened yesterday." Gaara commented.  
"You don't know the half of it." Sasuke smirked. "How long do you think it'll take before the school gets wind of us?"

"Well with the way things are going now...tomorrow." Gaara chuckled. "Poor Naruto, I pity the kid. Right now he's dealing with Ino."  
"I hope she doesn't smother him to death, I really like a living boyfriend." Sasuke said.

**x**  
"Oh my innocent little baby!" Ino cried, holding Naruto to her chest and ignoring his struggles. "My poor baby! So young and innocent, forced to do nasty things to survive as you dealt with that four eyed asshole!" Since he had ran into her going from his last class to this one, Naruto had seemed to be permenatly attached to her breast. He thought his face was on the verge of being blue but he couldn't be sure. His lungs only seemed to pull in enough air to keep him alive, barely.

"All the heartache you indured and the bruises that you hid-"

"My brothers don't abuse me!" Naruto tried to shout but everytime he opened his mouth one of Ino's breast would try to lodge itself inside. Why everyone insisted on Pain being abusive was beyond him. Pain never raised a hand toward him. No one in his family raised a hand toward him...no one but his dad.

"Then coming to school and having to deal with that, that, that thing!" Ino said getting the class all riled up. "Why would anyone do such a thing to you! To my poor baby!"

"Ino please try not to kill my students." Kakashi said, finally making his appearance. With that, Naruto was finally able to break free. Gulping in air like crazy as he heaved uncontrollaby. "Thank you."  
"But Kakashi Sensei-"

"Let us put a few rumors to rest." Kakashi said, holding up one finger, the only thing he had to do to silence anyone. "First, Ino take your seat. Naruto please straighten your clothes and take yours as well."  
"Okay." Naruto nodded, doing as told.

"Good. Now first off: Naruto's brothers do not abuse him." Kakashi started, "And," he added when Ino opened her mouth to protest with half the students present. "I know this because I know Naruto's brothers. I worked with Pain for a bit and stayed in touch with the rest of them. Rumor two: Deidara, Naruto's brother that most of you know, is also not a victim. I want to get that out of the way before it spreads like fire. And neither Naruto nor Deidara are forced to sell themselves."

"What!" Naruto gaped as he heard that one for the first time. "Sell myself?"

"Yes, I heard a few students talking as I was coming to class, which is why I'm late today." Kakashi said. "Rumor three: As far as I know, Pain is single."  
"Why would anyone want-" Naruto tried to say before the girl half of the class began squealing in joy.

"So I still have a chance!" Ino shouted jumping up from her seat and punching the air. "I'm so going to win hands down!"

"Win what?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Naruto, I'm going to be your new sister-in-law!"

"Wh-what?"

"I can just see it now. Me, the beautiful blushing bride in a white gown-"

"Ino don't lie to the school, everyone knows you got it on with that senior last year." Sakura cut in with a grin, earning a glare from Ino.

"And," Ino went on, "my hair is going to be raining down my face in perfect dainty curls. I want purple-"

"Who are you marrying?" Naruto asked, not sure if he was hearing right. He thought they were talking about Pain, but maybe he zoned out. How did they get from Pain to Ino's wedding?  
"Your sexy brother of course." Ino said before going on to talk about her wedding.

"What does he have to do with a dress and flowers?"

"Naruto, we're going to be a couple." Ino explained and then went on again about their wedding and names of their future children.

"Pain doesn't date highschool girls." Naruto cut her off again, even more confused. "I don't even think he knows what dating is."  
"There is no way he's a virgin!" Ino gasped. "A man that gorgeous and dangerous isn't a virgin!"

"I didn't say that!" Naruto blushed as if they were talking about his own virginty. "I don't-my brother-I don't want to talk about it!" he huffed, crossing his arms and turning away.

"Settle down, settle down." Kakashi said between chuckles. "Rumor four: Pain isn't a virgin. In fact, there is one girl that might even take him off the list of being a bach-"

"Who?" Naruto and Ino demanded as one. Pain was seeing someone? Or almost seeing someone? Why didn't he say anything? Didn't he trust him enough to tell? Why would his brother keep that from them? Just like that, Kyuubi's words came back to him;

_You guys won't have a burden anymore_

Maybe that's why Pain didn't tell him. Maybe Naruto was keeping Pain from being happy. He was the cause. No, Pain said he wasn't a burden. He promised. But Pain would lie to keep him happy...

"But you just said he was single." Sakura said in confusion.

Jumping on that right away, Kakashi said, "He is, but he isn't...it's complicated." He forced himself to look away from Naruto's hurt expression. It wasn't his place to tell Naruto his brother's secrets and Pain should have told him already! "They're on again off again kind of thing, and right now they're off. So he's single. Naruto I'm sure Pain would have told you-"

"Kakashi sensei what's today's lesson?" Naruto asked as he pulled out his book. Were they off because of him? Because Pain felt he had to see to him first? Did the girl blame him for Pain not being with her?

"I...Naruto..." sighing, Kakashi moved to his own desk and opened his own text book. "Everyone please open to the last chapter to review." Kakashi could only hope he didn't cause any more trouble for the family.

**x**

"That was a good practice, right Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. Since the beginning of practice, no since the beginning of lunch, Naruto had seemed off. He would smile and joke like normal, but it seemed more forced then anything else. Like he was acting with no real emotion behind it.

"Yes." Naruto smiled, his normal smile, but his eyes didn't light up as they normally did.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Sasuke frowned as he watched the blonde gather his things up and move toward the shower. Quickly grabbing his own things, Sasuke followed, trying to ignore the fact that Naruto would be naked soon. He had seen Naruto naked before, hell he seen the whole team naked, but this was different now. Now Naruto was his boyfriend and he was seeing him differently. Seeing him with both his eyes and his hormones, and his damn hormoes were acting up like crazy. Please don't get a boner, Sasuke begged his body.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're not smiling right."

"How do you smile wrong?"

"Like that," Sasuke pointed at Naruto's lips as they both entered a shower stall, a waist high wall separating them. They were the last ones in the showers, having been the last ones off the field, so the showers seemed freakily quiet then it normally did. "Please tell me." Sasuke asked softly, leaning over the wall, to cup Naruto's chin. When Naruto only tried to pull away, Sasuke held on a little tighter. Before Naruto could say anything, Sasuke pulled his blonde close as he, himself leaned farther over the wall. Ignoring Naruto's gasp, he kissed his boyfriend gently, brushing his lips against the other's. "Naruto?" he whispered, his lips grazing the blonde's.

"Sasuke...I...is it wrong for me to be angry at Pain?"

"Why would you be angry?" Sasuke frowned, pulling back slightly to meet Naruto's gaze.

"Because he has a girlfriend and he didn't tell me." Naruto said, moving back to finish his shower quickly, just staying long enough within to rinse off the soap he had applied as soon as they entered the stall.

Following the other's lead, and cutting his shower short, Sasuke turned off the water and moved to catch up. "Naruto, how do you know he has a girlfriend?"

"Kakashi told me." Naruto shrugged, drying off and pulling on his clothes. And through it all, Sasuke had to stop himself from drooling as Naruto bent over to pull on his boxers. "He said she's on again off again...why wouldn't he tell me?"

"Maybe he's protecting you." Sasuke said, seeing the hurt cross Naruto's face. It always amazed him that Naruto could be this old and seem so innocent. Seem as if the world had yet to touch him and Sasuke knew the world had already beaten him emotionally. His dad had done it physically. Kabuto had done it mentally. Yet Naruto was still sweet and innocent, wishing to save everyone. Kabuto wasn't the angel on earth, Naruto was. Why had he never noticed?

"How?" Naruto asked pulling on his jeans. Realizing he was still staring at Naruto's half nakedness and that he was still naked himself, Sasuke quickly dried off and began pulling on his clothes. "Sasuke?"

"Maybe he didn't want to bring in someone that you would get used to, and love, only to take her away." Sasuke said pulling on his shirt. "If they're on again off again, that's probably the reason. From the sounds of it, he's not even sure if he wants her to be a part of your lives or not. It could be that he can't decide if she's the one."

"Oh...do you think Deidara and Nagato know? That they hid it too?"

"I don't think so." Sasuke said knowing it was the truth. "Deidara doesn't seem like the type to keep that quiet for long and would demand to meet her."

"He's keeping Itachi quiet." Naruto reminded him.

"Yes, but that is his life, this is your oldest brother's life now. It would drive Deidara crazy." Sasuke grinned, knowing that, that also was true. "Now to find out for sure, I say you ask Pain point blank."

"But he's going to want to know where I head it from."

"Tell him the truth. It'll serve Kakashi right for teaching us one thing in class and giving us a pop quiz on something the notes didn't even cover today." Sasuke smirked evily. "Perfect revenge for giving me a D-."

"I got a B." Naruto said. "But I don't know how. I didn't write a few answers down...well I didn't write really anything down...Do you think he cheated for me?"

"With Pain as your brother, I'm sure Kakashi did. What would Pain say if he learned that Kakashi quizzed you on something you didn't even know and failed?"

"He'd demand Kakashi to try again until he got it right."

Demand, right, Sasuke thought. Pain would probably sick those giants on him. Hmmmm, maybe he could tell Pain about Kakashi's slip up. It was Kakashi that gave him that D and his brother wouldn't be all to happy about that one. Feeling a pair of soft lips on his own, Sasuke blinked and watched as Naruto pulled back and grabbed his stuff.

"Thanks Sasuke. I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto said quickly moving toward the door.

"Wait...I'll go with you-"

"Pain's waiting for me outside." Naruto cut in.

"Or I'll wait here until I get the all clear." Sasuke said instead. "Be safe."

"You too." Naruto grinned over his shoulder as he pushed the door open and left.

"Love you." Sasuke whispered into the silence, wishing he could have said it before Naruto left. Only a day of dating and he knew. He knew Naruto was meant to be his forever. That they'd only be happy together. "Tomorrow, I'll tell him." Sasuke decided. "Tomorrow for sure."

**x**  
"Ready?" Deidara asked from the front seat as Naruto got in the back with Nagato. Nodding at Deidara's question, Naruto buckled himself in and turned his gaze toward the driver seat. He was excited about looking for a new house, but he needed to know.

"Pain?"

"Yeah?" Pain asked as the car took off.

"How come you didn't tell me about your girlfriend?"


	11. Chapter 11

**11**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Girlfriend?" Deidara said into the stunned silence as Pain continued to drive, his mouth hanging open in shock, looking like a fish. His eyes were wide and a flush spread over his cheeks lightly. "Since when do you have a girlfriend and how come I don't know her? Do you know how scared I was to tell you about Itachi and when I told you, you glared at me. As in you planned to murder him for me keeping our relationship a secret. You are such a h-"

"How do you know about her?" Pain asked, cutting off a ranting Deidara mid-word.

"You told him? Does Itachi know? Is he going to get beaten up?" Naruto asked in surprise at Deidara's confession.

"I'm not going to beat him up. I'm just going to talk to him. Now how did you know?" Pain asked again.

"Talk as in glare and threaten him or talk as in slowly kill him through torture?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not going to lay a hand on Itachi, now Naruto-"

"So you'll just glare him to death?" Naruto asked intrigued by that thought. He had heard Zetsu say something along the lines of Pain having a glare that could start a wildfire.

"No, just...Naruto how did you find out?" Pain said trying to stay on track.

"It doesn't matter." Naruto answered, stunning Pain again with his refusal to answer. "How come you didn't tell me?"

"I...it's complicated...how did you-"

"So who is she?" Deidara demanded with his arms crossed, glaring at Pain like a mother would her child that misbehaved. Naruto bet that if Deidara was standing he would have been tapping his foot.

"Her name is Konan..." Pain finally said.

"The girl that works across the street, in the clothing store, from the shop." Nagato supplied.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Pain demanded as Deidara asked which clothing store.

"Because Kisame was telling me about a girl a while ago that actually made you act like a fool and out of your element." Nagato explained as he looked over a printed sheet in his hand. "The first house is two blocks back on the left side. Go all the way down the road and it should be on the corner."

"I don't care about the house." Deidara stated as Pain turned the car by using an empty driveway. "How long has she been your girlfriend?"

"That still doesn't explain how you narrowed it that far down. There are a lot of girls that work across the street and there are two clothing stores." Pain said, following the directions Nagato had given earlier.

"Kisame let it slip that you had been talking to her a lot more lately, and she works in the clothing store that has a black crown on the sign. I can't remember the name though...or maybe he didn't tell me." Nagato grinned, feeling better then he had in years. He felt like he could run nonstop for hours. Climb a mountain with no problems, eat a whole pizza and not get sick. He felt like he did before he got sick. Why that was, he didn't really question, he was just happy to be out and about with his family. To see the world for the first time in a long while. God, he missed this. Missed seeing something other then the four walls in his room or any walls in their home.

"Seems like you've gotten pretty close to Kisame." Pain grumbled as Deidara continued to rant at him.

Shrugging in response, Nagato looked at the address on the house and the one on the page. "That's it." he said pointing to a one story house painted grey. The yard was a bit small, smaller then their own back home if it was possible. It had a narrow driveway and not a lot of parking. Their house was always filled to the brink at any given time, this house looked like it couldn't even hold Pain. "It's supposed to have three bedrooms and two and a half baths. The kitchen is a decent size and connects to the living room. The back yard is fenced in."

"It's...cute." Deidara said as Naruto leaned over Nagato to get a better look. "It fits the requirements that we wanted. At least three bedrooms and two bathrooms, sort of. It's close to Naruto's school."

"I don't think I even fit through the doorway." Pain said, glaring at the house. "It looks like it'll break if I step inside. And where's the second bathroom? The hall closet? It's smaller then where we live."

"It is." Nagato said looking down at the information he had on the paper. "The price range is what we're looking for though."

"I don't think this one's for us." Naruto decided, digging through his bag for a pen and making a mark over the first house. Handing the pen to Nagato, he sat back and put his seatbelt back on.

"Second that." Deidara nodded.

"Next address Nagato." Pain said, putting the car into drive. There was no point in getting out. Either the people were lying about what was inside or this house was made for people under four feet and thin as sticks.

"At the next stop sign turn left. The house is three blocks down and across the street from the baseball field of the highschool." Nagato said.

"So about Kisame, anything I should know?" Pain asked as causally as a wolf would ask a sheep to sit there and be eaten.

"Nothing at all." Nagato said, sending a small grin at Naruto, who smiled back with his childlike glee. There really was nothing between him and Kisame. All it was, was a good friendship. Kisame talked easily to Nagato and Nagato gave advice. Sometimes Nagato talked and Kisame listened. There was no romance or longing glances. Kisame didn't believe in romance, scoffing at Pain's own self made problems with courting Konan, and Nagato didn't want one. Why have a romance when the chance of dying any day was high? He didn't want to die, but he knew he wouldn't live to thirty. It was a gut feeling and one he had come to accept. Why put off what couldn't be changed? For now he'd spend everyday with his brothers, showing them that he loved them.

"Really? Nothing-"

"Look!" Naruto shouted pointing toward a house. This house was blue with white trimming. The front yard was big and a drive way seemed to go around it. It was two stories. "It's big. What's in it?"

"Let's see. This one has a large kitchen, a sitting room, and a dining area all on the first floor. There are four bedrooms, three upstairs, one in the basement. The basement was turned into a game room. Three bathrooms, one on every floor. It doesn't really have a backyard though." Nagato finished reading, looking the house over. "And the river moves behind it. Meaning mosquitoes in the warmer seasons."

"I am not getting bit for half the year." Deidara declared, reaching back to take the pen from Nagato and awkwardly marking this house off the list. "Where's the next one?" he asked as Nagato rolled his eyes and took the pen back. Naruto laughed as Deidara stuck his tongue out at the house.

"The next one is four blocks on the otherside of the school's entrance." Nagato said.

"How many are we looking at?" Naruto asked, almost afraid they wouldn't find a house.

"On this list there are six all together." Nagato said. "But don't worry, I have another list for tomorrow if this one doesn't work out."

"How come we couldn't see them today?" Naruto asked with a pout.

"Because these ones are closer to the school. The others are a little ways away. Not as far as our house, but not as close as these ones." Nagato said.

"Oh...but we could still look at them." Naruto insisted.

"Naruto, we still have to cook dinner and you have homework." Deidara explained.

"Okay." Naruto sighed, watching as Pain pulled infront of another house. Right away all decided they didn't want it. The reason being was because of the two giant dogs in one yard barking at their car like crazy, looking as if they were ready to attack, and reason two because the house looked like it needed a bit of work. The fourth house was also declined for being right on a busy street and Pain didn't want to chance any of them getting hit by a car for walking to the store on the otherside of the busy road. The fifth one didn't even need a reason. None of them liked it and neither of them could understand why.

Naruto was placing his hopes on the sixth one, but that one also turned out to be a bust when they saw that the front yard was made of rocks instead of grass. Deidara said it was because the people were too lazy to cut it that they decided to put rocks instead.

"There's always tomorrow." Pain said seeing Naruto's disappointment.

"But I was hoping to find one today." Naruto wasn't sure why he wanted to find one today. Just something about this day seemed to be perfect time to find the house. It had been fun to spend time with all his brothers.

"Haku could come with us tomorrow." Deidara said to cheer him up. What Deidara wasn't say was that Nagato probably wouldn't come. Whenever Nagato had a good day, he usually had a bad day the next day.

"Okay." Naruto answered, looking out the window on his side. Feeling Nagato grasp his hand sitting between them, and giving it a sqeeze, Naruto turned toward him. Seeing the gentle smile on his brother's face made him feel better. Today was fun. So what if they didn't have another today, today was perfect. "Stop!" he shouted as Pain drove passed a house with a for sale sign in front.

Stomping on the breaks, Pain turned to Naruto to find out what was wrong only to find Naruto jumping out of the car and standing with his hands on his hips, his eyes glued to a yellow and white two story house. Getting out, Pain moved to Nagato's door to help his brother as Deidara moved to stand beside Naruto. When all four stood looking at the house, Pain turned to the others. "Well?"

"It's two blocks from the school." Naruto said, looking down the street and seeing the school clearly.

"The yard is huge." Deidara stated, looking at the big yard. He knew without looking the back would be just as big. "And there is a drive way that heads toward the back. I'm betting there's a lot of room for cars too."

"It looks big inside." Nagato commented. "I wonder why I didn't find it when I was searcing this area for houses."

"It's because it just went up for sale a half hour ago." Someone called as they walked toward them. "Hello, I'm Natsuhi, I live right next door with my husband and my son. He goes to the highschool down the street." She expained watching Pain warily as he moved to stand in front of the others.

"Me too!" Naruto said, moving around Pain. "I'm a freshmen!"

"My son's a senior." Natsuhi smiled. "You might know him. His name is Sumaru."

"I do! He's really quiet, but he sings really good. We don't have any classes together and the only reason I know him is because I heard him sing for the assembly on our first day. I say hi when I see him though." Naruto rambled on uncaringly. "He usually nods and smiles. Is he home? My names Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. These are my brothers, Pain, but his real name is Yahiko, but everyone knows him as Pain. That's Nagato and that's Deidara. We're looking for a new house to live in!"

"No, he's out with his father." Natsuhi smiled wishing to hug Naruto. He just seemed so innocent, she decided. Fresh and carefree. She bet if his brother, Deidara, she believed his name was, didn't put his hand over Naruto's mouth, she would have learned possibly everything about the young teenager in seconds.

"He's gets like this when he's excited." Deidara explained as Naruto grinned sheepishly.

"It's refreashing." Natsuhi laughed. "Would you like to know about the house? I'm no expert on it but I lived next door for six years now."

"Yes, if you would be so kind." Nagato asked, leaning on Pain to keep him standing. Natsuhi noticed this and noticed how thin and sickly he was. Yet he didn't seem to mind as he smiled without a care in the world.

"Well, the man that lived here moved after his wife passed away. He put some money to fix up some things and then put it on the market. It should go up in the papers and what not tomorrow." she explained. "The man lived here with his wife for over seventy odd years, had three children that they raised here, and then a dozen or so grandkids, and great grandkids that came for holidays. He's living with his oldest daughter now. It has five bedrooms, all of which are on the top floor. There's a kitchen that takes up the corner of one side of the house. Everything's up to date and big enough for, well you to fit in thirty times over," She said, smiling to ease her words when she looked at Pain.

"That works for me." Pain grinned, liking that. Room to move and eat without bumping and waiting for his turn for food.

"There's a dining room that connects through an archway. It fits a table of fifteen, the family loved having gatherings here," she explained again, "and the sitting room is the first thing you see as you walk in. It is beautiful, the windows are all big, as you can see and they light up the room."

"What about bathrooms?" Deidara asked.

"There are two upstairs, one on the first floor, and one in the basement."

"There's a basement! Is it a game room too?" Naruto asked looking at the house with excitement jumping off of him.

"It could be yes." Natsuhi nodded, looking at the beautiful house. "It has wooden floors so you could make it into another room, or a game room, or something else. The backyard is huge, and fenced in. A garage connects to the back and fits two cars inside. There's room for a giant cook out and space still left over for a game of football. That was tradition for the family. Any cook out had a game of football afterwards. Quite amusing to watch. There's also a small pool right next to the back patio, that leads into the kitchen, and a glass door that lets you see out. The patio is open but it does have a roof incase it rains or snows. There's a built in grill and table on it too. His late wife also had a rose garden put in and it's the most beautiful thing to see when the flowers bloom. There's a bench out back that you can sit on and just watch and smell the flowers of every color. There are a few trees out back to provide shade and climb on. If I didn't love my house, I'd buy this one."

"Are the rooms big?"

"Lets just say you can put a king size bed in and still have room to run." Natsuhi laughed. "I'm no good with measurements but I know a good place when I see one." turning to Naruto she said, "Do you want to know the best part?"

"What?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide and body shaking as he grinned.

"The best part is it's big enough to own a dog or two."

Gasping, Naruto turned to Pain, pleading with him to buy the house. He had always wanted a dog.

"Do you know how much he's selling for?" Pain asked, deciding he should start looking at adoption centers for a dog.

"I'm sorry, but no. I do have a number you could call though. Let me go get it." Natsuhi told them to wait for a moment and quickly walked to her house. A few minutes later she handed over a card and said, "I do hope you end up buying the house." she told them.

"How come?" Naruto asked.  
"Because there is something about you that makes me wish to mother you." Natsuhi laughed, caving into her desire and pulling Naruto into a hug. She wished Sumaru let her do this, but her boy just wasn't into hugs, making them more awkward then anything else for both of them. She missed the days were she could hold her son like this. Where her son would come to her with the same excitment and tell her everything. The days where she was still wanted at every second and needed twice as much. Her son was growing, no longer a little boy, she couldn't stop it, but she missed it. With Naruto she saw her baby boy again. "It was nice meeting you Naruto." She said, letting Naruto go before his brothers thought she was some kind of pervert.

"Nice meeting you too." Naruto grinned.


	12. Chapter 12

**12**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Did we get the house yet, Pain?" Naruto asked again for the third time the next day. The first time was when he woke up, the second was when he came home, and then now as Deidara was making dinner with Haku. Naruto didn't even bother to offer to help, with Pain in the house, he knew he wouldn't even get to touch anything on the stove. He really wanted to get the house, he had even dreamed about it. He dreamed that his friends were all hanging out in the game room.

"Not yet, babe." Pain said, as he sat in their small living room playing a game of cards with Hidan. As far as Naruto knew, Pain's other friends were all working. Hidan getting the day off since he had pulled a few doubles over the last week when Pain had taken his vacation. Nagato was asleep in the other room, having woken up with a small fever. It was mellow compared to the others he had but Pain and Deidara would go check on him every fourty minutes. Naruto had gone every five, but Pain had told him Nagato needed his rest.

"Do you think we'll get it after dinner?" Naruto persisted, kneeling down between the two sitting on the floor, both of which were leaning against the mismatched couches, the deck of cards between them and eight cards apiece in their hands.

"I don't think so." Pain chuckled, putting two cards down and picking up three more. Naruto wasn't sure what they were playing or how it worked. He had asked them the name of the game and both had shrugged and said it didn't have one. Then he asked how they knew to play what they were playing and they said because they played it alot at the shop, a game that they all had made up as they were playing poker and kept changing the rules to their advantage. They had tried teaching him it, but when Naruto thought he got the hang of it, he realized he got something wrong when both Pain and Hidan gave him that look that said he made a mistake. They never said it outloud that he was messing up, bending their unsaid rules to make him feel better. So after the fifth time of 'winning' Naruto had called it quits and sat back and watched them play.

"What about tomorrow?"

"I'm sure they'll call when they go over a few things, Naruto." Hidan said placing four cards on the discard pile and picking up two more. With a smirk he layed all his cards down and said, "And the winner is..."

"You again." Pain glared. "I think you're cheating."

"How can he cheat?" Naruto questioned, "Your game doesn't have rules."

"It has rules." both said at the same time.

"Sure it does." Naruto pouted, looking toward Haku and Deidara, the latter of the two stirring something on the stove while the other pulled out a freshly made bread from the oven. From the smell of it, Naruto knew they were having pasta, his favorite after ramen. "Hey Hidan?"

"Yeah, kid?" Hidan said as he gathered the cards together and began shuffling like a pro, doing neat tricks that Naruto enjoyed watching. When he made an arch with the deck, Naruto shook his head to try and remember what he was trying to say.

"How come you don't date Haku?"

"Wh-what?" Hidan sputtered, the cards scattering all over them. "What did you say?"

"Well," Naruto said, making sure his voice was low enough that Haku and Deidara didn't hear. Smiling at Haku and Deidara, both of which turned to look at them with startled looks, he waved to them, and then waited for both to go back to cooking before answering Hidan. "You like him."

"What, uh, what makes you say that?" Hidan asked, picking up every card to avoid looking at Naruto and Pain, who was smirking at Hidan's flushed state. Any topic involving Haku tended to throw Hidan off balance. Zabuza usually tried to bring up his younger brother when Hidan had something he wanted, normally some type of snack or drink. It was easy to get things from Hidan when Haku was the topic being discussed. Everyone knew Hidan had it bad for Haku, and Haku for him, but all were waiting for Hidan to make a move, which he refused to make since Haku was Zabuza's brother and it went against his own self made bro code.

"Cause you always look at his butt." Naruto said innocently.

"I...No! I..." Hidan gaped, sending the card flying again, this time in Pain's face since the oldest Namikaze wouldn't stop laughing.

"Is everything okay?" Haku asked as he looked toward them again, sharing a look with Deidara that was filled with confusion.

"Fine! All fine!" Hidan said too quickly, flushing a brighter red as he imagined shoving Naruto's too innocent grinning face into the dirt colored carpet. "Naruto!" he growled, sending a glare toward Pain. You'd think the damn bastard was watching a comedy.

"But I saw you." Naruto insisted. "Remember? When you came over yesterday. You got here a second after Haku. I was helping him get stuff out of his trunk and when Haku bent over to hand me another bag, you tilted your head like this," Naruto deminstrated by tilting his own, "And you bit your lip like this," Naruto also deminstarted that, "And then you hummed. I don't know what you hummed but when Haku stood up and turned to you, you were looking down the road whistling."

"Naruto!" Hidan hissed, flushing even brighter as Pain held his stomach and continued to laugh like a mad man.

"Well how come you don't date him?" Naruto asked again as the smell of the fresh bread mixed with pasta sauce. Just smelling that made his tummy rumble.

"Because-"

"Haku likes you too. He says he wants you to ask him out." Naruto went on. It wasn't a lie, so he didn't feel guilty about telling Hidan Haku's secret.

"I...he does?" Hidan asked, looking at Haku who was busy cutting up the bread. "I mean, I...really?"

"Yep." Naruto nodded, gathering the cards for his brother.

"Why not?" Pain questioned when Hidan made a humming sound, that usually happened when he was checking out Haku. "Zabuza has mentioned you'd make a good brother-in-law. Said that he couldn't think of someone better for Haku then your foul mouth."

"He deserves better." Hidan admitted softly.

"Like who?"

"I know!" Naruto said, knowing what he was saying would be a somewhat misleading lie, but if it helped his friends, he wouldn't get in trouble. Of course he didn't want to do this, but when he had put the question toward Sasuke, his boyfriend had suggested the idea and said it would work. He wanted Haku and Hidan to be happy and if this worked, then he didn't mind going along with his plan. When Hidan looked at him with narrowed eyes, Naruto pretended not to notice. "That guy that compliments him every day and makes everday a little better when he sees him. Haku said so. Haku also says he has dreamy eyes...what does that mean Pain?" To be honest, he wasn't really sure what dreamy eyes were. He had heard Haku and Deidara go on and on about Hidan's and Itachi's dreamy eyes. He had even heard Ino and Sakura go on about dreamy eyes, but when he looked, they were just eyes. He wondered if Sasuke had dreamy eyes...Maybe he'd ask him tomorrow when he saw him at school.

"I'll tell you when you're older." Pain said, trying to remember Haku mentioning anything about a dreamy eyed stranger.

"What else did he say about this bas-guy?" Hidan questioned wanting to kill the guy that thought to move in on his property.

"Oh, um...that he has soft hair. He said it was silky." Naruto shrugged, seeing the red in Hidan's eyes.

"I see..." Hidan bit out. "What else?"

"I don't know, when he talks about this guy he sighs and giggles alot." which Haku did whenever he and Deidara got to gossiping about Hidan and Itachi. "So you see, he has options."

"The hell he does." Hidan growled as he stood and ignored Pain's look at his choice of words. Which Naruto didn't think Pain should be giving because when his oldest brother was in a foul mood, he cursed like a sailor.

As Hidan marched the short distance toward the other two, Pain turned to Naruto, "So is there really a guy?"

"No, just Hidan."

"So he got jealous over himself?"

"Yep." Naruto giggled, happy with his plan.

"And how did you come up with this plan?" Pain questioned.

"I'll tell you if you introduce your girlfriend." Naruto countered. Why wouldn't Pain let them meet her? Deidara had tried going to the store Nagato had said she worked in but she was off for a few days. Pain always changed the subject when she was brought up, but Naruto was determined.

"I bet this is Sasuke's doing. You never used to be this way. You used to tell me everything I wanted to know no matter what it was. Now you are turning into a minture me." Pain grinned. "I like it."

Grinning, Naruto puffed up with pride. When he heard a gasp from the kitchen and then something hitting something else, Naruto turned and blushed. Hidan had Haku pushed up against the fridge, hands holding Haku's head in place by his hair, leg between the raven's thigh. Haku's hands were holding onto Hidan's shoulder, either by shock or pleasure, Naruto wasn't sure. Before he could decide, he found Pain's hand over his eyes and himself pulled back against his brother's broad chest.

"Good job, babe." Pain rumbled into his ear, chuckling when Naruto grinned.

When a moan followed Pain's statement, Naruto heard Deidara shout, "Not the bread! Hidan get Haku off the counter! I am not eating bread molded by Haku's butt!" Pain started to laugh until Deidara added, "Pain! He's unzipping his pants! MY PASTA SAUCE! YOU MORONS DROPPED IT!"

"Naruto close your eyes tight and cover your ears." Pain growled as he got up and started yelling, his voice only slightly muffled to Naruto. "Hidan, you dumbass! My brothers are in the hous-pull your fucking pants up! Haku, what the hell!" Next thing Naruto heard was a crash, Haku's laughter and Hidan cursing. Deidara kept shouting about the bread being ruined and Pain was still shouting at Hidan to pull up his pants. Then Pain turned to Haku and went off on him, telling him he should have more morals then Hidan. Then demanding why he helped Hidan take his pants off.

"What is going on in here?" Kakashi asked.

When no one answered, Naruto, with his eyes still closed and ears covered said, "Hidan was trying to have sex with Haku." At his words, everything went quiet. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Naruto," Deidara got out sounding as if he was choking. "How do you know about sex?"

"I'm fifteen. I know stuff." Naruto answered, opening one eye to see everyone watching him. "Is dinner ready?"

"I bet it was that bastard, Sasuke." Hidan growled zipping his pants back up. "He tainted Naruto!"

"Where the hell does he live! I'm going to kill him! Naruto has he tried anything with you? He has, hasn't he!" Pain went on, looking around the house. "Where the hell are my damn shoes!"

"I'm going with you! Bastard thinks he can taint Naruto and get away with it! I'll show him! Thinking he can put his hands on Naruto and try to convince him sex is great-" Hidan continued.

"I think you two are overreacting." Kakashi cut in, seeing the wide eyed stare Naruto had.

"The hell we are! Deidara tell me where Sasuke lives-Has Itachi tried to have sex with you!"

"What!" Deidara flushed, taking a step back. "That is none of your business!"

"The hell it isn't! He has, hasn't he!"

"Those damn Uchihas!" Hidan cursed, tossing one of Pain's shoes toward him. "Trying to take advantage of your brothers! Their asses are going down! But you two are smart, they know to tell them no-"

"The way I remember it," Kakashi started when Deidara looked ready to murder Hidan. "Didn't you seduce Itachi?"

"The hell he did!" Pain snarled, finding his other shoe.

"I'm ninteen years old." Deidara remarked as Naruto started giggling into his hands and Kakashi sat relaxed on one of the couches, playing with a card that had yet to be picked up. He was going to kill Kakashi!

"I don't give a damn, you're staying a virgin until your dead!" Pain snapped.

"Well, then I guess he died then." Kakashi said, unfazed by the glares being sent his way.

"You can't be..." Pain gaped, looking like he'd seen a ghost. "No, you..."

"If it helps any, I'm not one either." Kakashi waved his fingers, smirking as the other two glared at him. "Nor are you two bulldogs...in fact the only one in this house that's a virgin, as far as I know, is Naruto. Even Nagato's gotten some."

"When did Nagato-wait, who the hell did you have sex with!" Hidan snarled at Haku. "I'm going to fucking kill them! I'm going to rip their balls off and shove it down their throat! Then I'm going to rip them to fucking pieces and beat their fucking head in!"

"It was a long time ago." Haku said, glaring at Kakashi.

"Sure was." Kakashi chuckled.

"Tell me!" Hidan snapped, the jealousy raditating off of him.

"It was-"

"Kakashi!" Deidara said quickly, smirking as Kakashi lost all amusement in his face. "In fact, Kakashi was also the one that showed me how to seduce Itachi."

"That's a lie!" Kakashi shouted, standing up quickly, looking from one glaring giant to the other. "I never-"

"It's true, he was my sadly disappointing first." Haku sighed, an evil glint in his eyes.

"Another lie! I am an amazing lover!" Kakashi shouted before realizing what he said. "Hidan, I didn't-"

"You are one dead son of a bitch." Hidan stated before he charged. Not one to wait around to die, Kakashi hightailed it for the door. Right behind him were Hidan and Pain.

"That wasn't very nice." Naruto said once the house had quieted down. "You told a lie."

"Yes, but he shouldn't spill information that isn't his to spill." Haku huffed, fixing his clothes. "Well dinner is ruined."

"Can we have homemade ramen?" Naruto asked, standing up and dropping the cards on the couch.

"Why not, come on lets go find the keys, so we can go buy the stuff." Deidara said, turning off the stove. "Naruto, I'm sure Nagato's awake now, can you ask if he wants anything." when Naruto went to do as asked, Deidara turned to Haku, "So who was your first Haku?"

"First, I was kind of drunk. Well we both were, though Zabuza doesn't know about that either." Haku started, flushing slightly as he excused his behavior.

"Okay."

"And when we realized what we did, we both refused to speak of it again."

"You're stalling."

"If you ask him, he'll deny it. And his face is so poker straight that you can't tell if he's lying or not."

"Haku, for gods sake, tell me!" Deidara demanded.

"My first time was with...Even I'm disgusted with it now and he won't say either way. I mean he's older then I am by fifteen years!"

"Haku!"

"Kakuzu!"

"You slept with Kakuzu!" Deidara gaped in shock, seeing the giant in his mind and shuddering at the idea of seeing him naked. "How!"

"I was drunk and so was he. He was having problems with something and I was pissed about...well I don't remember what now, but we were both angry. I went to the shop to talk to Zabuza about it, but he was off fixing a car on the freeway. Kakuzu was there though and he had a bottle with him, none of that cheap stuff either. So without a word he hands me the bottle and without care, I drank some. Next thing I know the bottle is empty and we're both buzzing. After that, things are kind of fuzzy. I woke up an hour later, naked on the couch with Kakuzu under me, in the same state, my ass is sore and I feel sticky. Kakuzu and I stare wide-eye at eachother and both agree that we would never speak of it again."

"So how does Kakashi know?"

"Well, he walked in as Kakuzu was pulling his pants on and I was still mostly naked. Kakuzu just gave him that kind of scary stare and Kakashi quickly agreed to never say a word about what he saw. Of course, Kakashi was a jerk because everytime he saw me afterwords, for a while, he'd grin that smug grin of his and shake his head in amusement."

"Do you think he'll tell now?" Deidara asked, lowering his voice when he heard Naruto leaving Nagato's room.

"No, if he did, not only would Hidan kill him for being the messanger, but Kakuzu would murder him for speaking. Then Zabuza would murder him because he didn't speak sooner." Haku grinned. "Our secret is safe, or as safe as it will get."

"I'm ready!" Naruto said, coming into view, "Nagato said he'll take a salad only."

With that, all three walked outside, pausing only briefly to see Kakashi in a tree and Hidan climbing up. Pain was cursing up a storm, telling Kakashi he had all day.

"I swear it wasn't me!" Kakashi shouted down.

**x**

"So did the plan work?" Sasuke asked the next morning as they were walking to their first class. Sasuke being the gentleman and holding Naruto's belongings with his own stuff in one hand, while his other hand, held Naruto's own. As Gaara had predicted, the day after Naruto's brother was introduced, unofficaly, to the school, everyone had been abuzz with Sasuke's and Naruto's relationship. Some fighting it, some accepting it, or in Ino's, Sakura's, and most of the female student body's case, threating to do Sasuke in if he so much as hurt a hair on Naruto's head.

"Yep, Haku and Hidan are dating now." Naruto nodded, swinging their connected arms gently. "And Kakashi has a black eye and a busted lip."

"Why?" Sasuke gaped in surprise.

"Cause Deidara said Kakashi thought him how to seduce Itachi and Haku said he took his virginity." Naruto answered simply.

"...Did he?"

"No, they lied but Haku said it was okay because Kakashi said things that had nothing to do with him."

"Okay then...Naruto why do you keep frowning when you meet my gaze?" Sasuke asked after the third time Naruto did that.

"I was checking if you had dreamy eyes?"

"You were checking?" Sasuke frowned in confusion. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Do I?"

"I don't know. What do dreamy eyes look like?" Naruto aked. Instead of answering Sasuke broke out laughing.


	13. Chapter 13

**13**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Itachi?" Sasuke called into his brother's home office. Knocking again, he waited a few minutes before pushing the door open and finding his brother fast asleep on his desk, arms folded under his head.

Walking to the desk, Sasuke continued to look at his brother, finding circles under his eyes. There was a five o'clock shadow and his hair was slighty messy, almost as if he had been running his hands through it over and over again.

Frowning at the state his brother was in, Sasuke moved around the desk and looked at the computer screen, a picture of Deidara and Itachi at a carnival the only thing he could see. Moving the mouse, the picture faded away showing different documents.

"Don't erase anything." Itachi ordered tiredly, eyes refusing to open.

"What are you doing? Are we moving?" Sasuke asked in confusion as he looked at a page titled real estate.

"No, I'm helping Deidara move." Itachi answered, opening his eyes enough to squint at the screen. "They want to move from their place to one near the school. Click to the fifth window."

Doing as told, Sasuke whistled at the beautiful house. It was a house made for a family. He knew where it was, he drove passed it almost every morning to go to school. He would have driven passed it going home but he always went to see Itachi for a few minutes to talk about their day before going home. "So what's the problem?" Sasuke finally asked, surprised that Naruto didn't mention anything about moving.

"The problem is Pain doesn't want me to buy it and sell it to them for the amount they can afford, and all of theirs, but Naruto's, credit is, in simpler terms, fucked up."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke frowned in confusion. From what he knew of the brothers, all of them seemed to be responsible.

"I mean, their dad fucked them all over. Pain, Nagato, Deidara, and Kyuubi have shit for credit. Their dad put their names on the line for shit that was bound to fall under a year after their mom died. When one went under, he moved to the next. The only reason Naruto has credit, how little it is, is because Pain stopped their dad before he could get Naruto's social security. With that being said, there's no way they can afford this place. Pain has a third of it saved up from all of those jobs he worked. But no one is willing to trust him with a loan. And quite a few people have showed interest in this, people everyone else believes will be better qualified to afford it."

Trying to force his anger down at what he had just learned, Sasuke took a deep breath, "From the date it's been on the market for three weeks." How could anyone do that do their kids? Just fucked them over before they had a chance to start their own lives? What kind of man, who was once a family man and loved his family, would do this to their own kids? God, Minato basically fucked up each one of his kids for life. No one would ever trust any of Naruto's brothers with anything now. They wouldn't be able to afford nice cars, unless they could pay for it in full. They couldn't even get the house they wanted.

"Yes and in all three weeks, I have been fighting people off left and right. The neighborhood's a good one, its near the school and the house is big with a big yard to match. It's the perfect house for a family, and damn it, but it seems the damn world wants the place."

"What are you doing?"

"Showing interest and telling them to hold off on selling." Itachi sighed as he rubbed at his right eye with the heel of his palm.

"And when are they going to stop holding it for you?"

"Today." Itachi answered. "Pain won't take hand outs and doesn't want to owe anything to the, and I quote, 'Uchihas that are trying to...' lets just end the quote there."

"What!" Sasuke gaped in shock, flushing brightly. He had yet to tell Naruto he loved him, mostly due to fear of Naruto laughing at him and dumping his ass, though he knew Naruto would never do that, but still, saying those three little words were terrifying, and just thinking about going beyond that... Sure he'd like to take his relationship with Naruto to the next level but only when Naruto was ready. Whether it was two days from now or years from now, Sasuke was willing to wait. Hell, he'd wait until after they got married if that's what Naruto wanted. To think that Pain thought he was only with Naruto for that reason alone was shocking and it pissed him off.

"My thoughts exactly," Itachi glared at the computer keyboard. "But with little else to do, I had to do the extream."

"What did you do?" Sasuke asked.

"I bought the house yesterday and finished up today. I figure we can afford it a few times over. I paid in full and then gift wrapped it for Naruto, so to speak. I just finished getting off the phone and signing a few papers that they sent me through the fax. In a few minutes I'm going to get a copy of the deed faxed, and then we are going to see Naruto. The original one should be mailed here in two days. I'm done dancing to Pain's tune. That's all I've done for three weeks. If he don't like it he can take it up with Naruto. I should of saved myself the hassle and done this from the beginning. God, I'm so damn tired."

At the sound of the fax machine going off, Itachi stretched as Sasuke pulled a paper from the machine. "Are you ready?"

"You drive."

**x**

"Any news on the house?" Nagato asked Pain as his brother helped him get back in bed. He felt like hell today, but he didn't want any of his brothers to know. It didn't help that Kyuubi had come by twice in the last two weeks, missing the FBI by a few hours the first time. Of course, Deidara was the one to answer the door and told them they still had no contact with Kyuubi.

"Yeah," Pain sighed, pulling the covers to his waist as he moved a few pillows behind Nagato to help him sit up. "I called this morning," he went on, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking toward the door incase someone showed up. Of course no one was there, Deidara and Naruto were both with Haku buying materials for a project Naruto needed to do in science, and Pain had called in for the first time in his life to his night job. "Someone bought it yesterday. They wouldn't say who."

"Oh..." Nagato nodded, feeling a pain in his chest, "We have to tell Naruto and Deidara."

"I know. Deidara will be okay, but Naruto already has it in his mind we're getting it. God, why the fuck did someone have to buy it? I know we're good for the money. I know we can pay-"

"We're back!" Naruto shouted happily as the front door open.

"We'll tell him after dinner." Nagato decided at the crest fallen look on Pain's face. He had never seen Pain this...there was really no words to describe it. The look on his brother's face reminded Nagato of someone who had the world on their shoulders and let if fall. "He'll understand."

"Pain? Nagato?" Naruto called coming toward his room. "Guess what? Deidara, Haku, and I stopped by an adoption place and we found a puppy! He's all brown, but he's been there a week because no one wanted him. They say he has too much energy, but I said it was okay because I have a lot of energy too." Naruto went on, a big grin on his face as he jumped onto the other side of the bed, resting his head on his fist as he layed on his belly a few seconds later. "I said we'll be back cause we're getting a big house so I told them not to give him to anyone else. I told them that if anyone can train a puppy it'll be me. And they said they would hold him for another week for me and he doesn't even have a name. They call him Dog 2, so they don't get attach to him, but they said I could name him and I already did. Wanna know what I named him?"

"Babe..." Pain started to say, hating to break his brother's heart. They weren't getting a house and they weren't getting a dog either. God, can you give me one break, just one? he begged silently.

"I told Sasuke already about the puppy on the way over. I used Haku's phone to call him. He said he can't wait to meet him."

"Babe-" Nagato tried but Naruto didn't seem to hear them as he rolled on his back and held his hands up in the air above him, almost as if he was holding the puppy there.

"And-"

"Naruto!" Pain said loud enough to make Naruto jump and look at him in confusion. "Listen babe, about the house-"

"Did we get it then!" Naruto said, a smile appearing on his face as he moved to his knees and jumped in place. "We got it!"

"We got the house?" Deidara asked from the door, a grin on his face as he looked at Haku. The look that went with the grin was one of relief and joy. Like a child thinking they wouldn't get a present for their birthday and waking up with one beside them.

"That's great!" Haku hugged Deidara. "Oh my god, we have so much to do and pack. I'll borrow Zabuza's truck when you're ready to move and-"

"We didn't get the house!" Pain shouted, stopping them all cold.

"But-"

"We didn't get the house." Pain said again, looking away from Naruto and Deidara. How could he fail them like this? For the last few years of their lives they kept getting shit and now he was shoveling more on them.

"That's okay though." Nagato said quickly as Naruto looked down at the bed spread. "It just means that someone has different plans for us in mind and something good is bound to come to us. There's bound to be a better-"

"I'll get it," Deidara said softly at the sound of someone knocking at the front door. Without waiting for anyone to answer, he turned and walked off.

"Naruto, our house is waiting for us to find it. This one wasn't it."

"It felt like it." Naruto said, picking at the loose threads on the blanket.

"Babe,"

"It's okay Pain. It's not your fault." Naruto smiled at his brother, forcing back his tears. His brothers tried and that was enough. Nagato was right, their house was waiting for them.

Pain wanted so desperatly to say it was. If he had caught on to his dad sooner, all of this could have been avoided. No matter how many lifetimes went by, he'd never be able to get rid of the debt built up in his name, Nagato's name, Deidara's name, and even Kyuubi's name. He could only thank god that he was there in time to stop him from ruining Naruto's good name.

And why did he have to hold onto his pride? He could have just pushed it aside and taken up Itachi on his offer when the raven brought up his own plan. He could of bought it from Itachi... Of course he was pissed Deidara told him about them trying to buy a house, not thinking anything of it and Pain was even more pissed when Itachi had went to see what was taking so long in getting an answer.

"Naruto!" Deidara laughed coming into the room, dragging Itachi behind him by the hand.

"What's going on?" Nagato asked at the change in Deidara's attitude.

"Before you say anything, I'm not sorry I did it." Itachi said quickly, sending an even look toward Pain, as he hid behind Deidara, which shocked Nagato because normally Itachi played nice with Pain just to please Deidara and, what Nagato suspected, because he somewhat feared Pain like any rational person would.

"Did what?" Nagato asked when Pain just stared back at Itachi, his expression completely blank.  
"And it's a gift for Naruto so you can take it up with him." Itachi went on, a small shift in his voice betraying his calm facade. "Sasuke?"

Not a second later, Sasuke came in with a black leash on which a puppy with brown fur was attached to. The dog couldn't be identifed as any breed, but he was on the slim side with somewhat smooth hair, looking far from a dangerous hound that lived in the houses around them. From the size of his paws, Nagato would put him to be about knee high, to Naruto, when he was fully grown.

"Chibi!" Naruto shouted as he jumped off the bed and landed in front of the dog, laughing as the puppy started licking his face.

"I don't understand." Pain finally said as the puppy continued to bark and happily attack Naruto, but no one seemed to pay attention to them as they watched Naruto playing with the puppy.

"What's this?" Naruto asked, finally seeing the paper sticking out of the dogs collar. Pulling on the ribbon holding it in place, he unrolled the paper and just stared at it in confusion. He had no idea what he was looking at, just that it had his name at the top. "Sasuke?" he finally said, looking up at his boyfriend smiling down at him as leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"Think of it as Sasuke's dowery." Itachi joked, earning a glare from his brother.

"What did you do?" Pain demanded.

"I own a house!" Naruto shouted in shock as the words finally made sense in his head. "Pain I own a house- I own our house!" Naruto laughed, showing the paper to Pain. "Look we have our house!"

Stunned, Pain took the paper from Naruto's hands and read the copy quickly before looking back toward Itachi.

"I would have put it in your name, but I was afraid you'd kick my...backside." Itachi substituted. "I figured Naruto's name would be my easiest bet."

"Why?" Pain asked as Naruto continued to celebrate, pulling Sasuke to dance with him and Haku in the small hallway, the puppy, or Chibi, barking happily around them as he tangled them up with the leash.

"Because someone else almost bought it yesterday morning. I jumped the gun and I'm glad I did." Itachi answered, taking a step back when Pain moved to stand in front of him, his big arm gently moving Deidara to the side. So what if he looked like a wimp in Deidara's eyes, Pain scared the fuck out of him.

"Thank you." Pain finally said after an intense staring contest that Itachi almost lost. "I'll pay you back-"

"Don't." Itachi shook his head, stunned at Pain's words, and from the looks on Deidara's and Nagato's faces, both were in the same boat. Thank you just sounded weird coming from Pain, especially when it was said in such a way as this. "You need furniture and I figure this can get you off mine and Sasuke's back a little for dating your brothers."

Chuckling, Pain stuck out his hand and if not for Deidara, Itachi's hand would have stayed by his side. "I'm in your debt but I'm not laying off you just yet."

"Pain." Deidara huffed, pulling Itachi's hand free from the tightening grip.

"I forget my own strength." Pain said, releasing Itachi's hand and moving toward Naruto.

"I think he's going to kill me." Itachi said softly, trying to force feeling into his hand.

"Nonsense," Deidara shook his head, laughing at Itachi's expression. "He gave you the handshake."

"The what?" Itachi gaped as he held his throbing hand to his chest.

"Welcome to the family, Itachi." Nagato laughed.

**x**

"Have you seen Naruto?" Sasuke asked Neji when he stopped the teen carrying a box the oppsite way.

"Well he came out of Kakashi-sensei's class-"

"I checked but it's locked up. Ino said Kakashi had to talk to Yamato sensei about the joint class project and let them go ten minutes earlier." Sasuke said, wishing he had gotten Naruto a phone instead of the dog. "You don't think anyone's messing-"

"Not after Pain's display." Neji shook his head, moving the box to one arm as he reached for his phone. "Let me call Gaara, he might be with him...Hey Gaara, yeah I have to take something to Genma-sensei first...yeah, okay. Anyway, have you seen Naruto? No, Sasuke's looking for him...Okay keep an eye out if you see him... Love you."

"Thanks Neji, I'll see you around." Sasuke called out as he continued on, looking down each hallway he passed. Where was Naruto? It wasn't like him to disappear. If anything he would have waited for Sasuke at their lockers. He wasn't known to walk off by himself and Sasuke figured with him getting his dream house and Chibi the day before, Naruto would have a lot to say. Not to mention Naruto said he had to tell him about a new trick that Chibi learned. "Where are you Naruto?" Sasuke asked softly, as he did a half circle around the school. With a sigh, he looked out the side windows, only to back track. "What the..." he frowned in shock as he saw an older, more dirty-er clone of Naruto talking to his boyfriend, making him cry. "Shit." Sasuke said softly as he ran out the side door and hightailed it to the two. "Naruto!" he called as the man put an arm around Naruto's shoulder. Calling Pain's number, now glad that Pain forcefully made Sasuke program it incase something happened to Naruto, Sasuke put it back in his pocket, afraid of what the man would do if he saw it.

"S-sasuke?" Naruto said as he turned his head to look at him, his eyes red from crying.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Sasuke asked, wanting to pull Naruto into his arms but almost afraid of hurting Naruto more or the man hurting Naruto.

"N-no." Naruto shook his head, rubbing at his eyes, not seeing students and teachers alike watching them, nor some of the teachers making their way toward them.

"Back the fuck off," the man glared, pulling Naruto tighter to his body. "You have no business here."

"Let him go." Sasuke said, trying to force back the fear that ran down his spine at the man's eyes looking straight at him. They looked... insane. "You're not taking Naruto."

"You going to stop me?" he challenged, lifting his gaze toward the teachers coming toward them, uncaring of them as he took a step back with Naruto.

"Dad, stop." Naruto pleaded, afraid of what his dad would do. "Please, I'm scared."

"It's okay, son, I won't hurt you. I promise." his dad said soothingly. "It's okay. I wouldn't lie to you."

"Minato, just let him go." Kakashi said, moving toward them. "Don't make me call the police."

"He's my fucking son, do you honestly think I'd hurt him!" Minato snapped, pulling Naruto roughly behind him.

"Minato, you are hurting him." Kakashi said calmly, moving slowly toward them as Naruto continued to cry into the back of Minato's shirt. "Just let him go. You can talk to him when Pain's around-"

"Fuck Pain! My own fucking son won't let me see him! I am trying to make everything right! Fuck this! Fuck you!" Minato snarled, walking backward as Kakashi kept coming. "I want to protect him too. I want him to have a better future. A healthy life!"

"You're not helping him this way." Kakashi said standing even with Sasuke. "Just let him go. You're hurting him." he said when Naruto almost fell off the curb, barely catching himself on Minato's leg since his father refused to let his arm go. "You're hurting him, Minato!"

"I'm not hurting him! I'm taking care of him!" Minato snapped, moving both of them to the middle of the road. "I'm his father! I take care of him!"

"Daddy, please!" Naruto cried when he was pushed farther into the street.

"I'm protecting you! Naruto, don't you see what they're doing?" Minato demanded as he moved behind his son, holding Naruto to the front of his body. "They're trying to turn you against me! Me, your own father! The man that created you, that loved you and gave you everything! Don't you see what they're trying to do? Don't you love me?"

"Daddy-"

"Don't you love me?" Minato said, holding an arm around Naruto's upper chest, his hand reaching for something in his back pocket. "Tell me you love me!"

"I love you, daddy," Naruto sobbed, wanting to run to Sasuke.

"See, he loves me."

"Minato, just let him go." Kakashi said softly, hands up in the air to show he meant no harm as he continued to walk forward. "Everything will be fine, we just threw this out of proportion-"

"You're fucking right you did! Just leave us alone! Stay where you are!" he shouted, pulling a gun free from his back. He didn't care about the people screaming and running away. He just wanted to take his son away from these people.

"Don't, okay, I'll stay put." Kakashi said as the gun wavered from him to Sasuke. Stepping in front of the Uchiha, Kakashi kept his hands up in the air. "It's okay. We won't move. Just put the gun down."

"I'm going to save my son." Minato glared as he tightened his hold on Naruto, almost choking the boy.

"Okay, you'll save him. Minato please, you're scaring Naruto."

"He's not afraid of me. He loves me. He's the only one that does. Pain doesn't love me. Nagato doesn't love me. Kyuubi and Deidara don't love me. Deidara wouldn't even talk to me. Naruto loves me. Isn't that right, son?"

Naruto didn't seem to hear him, his eyes glued to the gun in fear.

"Minato let him go before the police get here. Put the gun down." Kakashi said, looking as if to take a step, only to push Sasuke back when Minato fired two feet in front of him.

"NO!" Naruto screamed, trying to run to them, but unable to break free.

"It's okay, Naruto," Kakashi said as he sat up slowly, his heart beating a mile a minuted. "We're okay, aren't we Sasuke."

"Y-yeah." Sasuke nodded, not moving from the ground, fear for Naruto freezing him in place. He wanted to get up and help Kakashi, but he had no idea what to do. And if Minato had two people coming at him, he might shoot Naruto. He felt like a coward hiding away while his boyfriend was being held hostage, but Sasuke knew no other way to save Naruto. Please, hurry, he thought to Pain. The police should have been the ones he thought of, but for some reason, Pain was the first thing in his mind when he was thinking about a protector. Not the police, not doctors, not parents, just Pain.

"Minato, the police are coming." Kakashi went on, hearing the sirens.

"Let them come. They don't scare me. I'm protecting my son." Minato said.

"I want my brothers," Naruto whispered fearfully. "I want Pain."

"NO!" Minato snapped, turning Naruto painfully around and shoving the barrel into the bottom of his chin. "You want me! I'm your father! I'm the one that took care of you! I gave you everything! Pain isn't your father!"

"Stop!" Sasuke shouted when Minato pulled gently on the trigger. "Don't do it! Please stop!"

"Tell them I'm your father! I took care of you! Tell them you want to go with me!" Minato shouted. "Tell them!"  
Instead of answering, Naruto continued to cry.

"I gave you everything!" Minato screamed, grasping Naruto by the front of his shirt. "Every piece of me, you took. You took it all from me! You took your mother from me!" Minato said, tears building in his eyes. "She died because of you!"

"Sir put the gun down!" a cop ordered as he stopped his car and stood behind the open doorway. Three more policemen came from different cars, each one blocking Minato from all directions. And still more sirens kept coming. "I won't ask you again. Put the gun down!"

With a snarl on his lips, Minato pulled the gun away from Naruto and turned it on the police man. Before he could even pull the trigger, his body jerked five times as he fell.

"AHHHH!" Naruto screamed falling with him. Continued to scream as blood began to seep into his own clothes. Continued to scream as someone pulled him away from his dad's unmoving body. He screamed and screamed as policemen swarmed his dad, checking a pulse and kicking the gun away, their own pointed on him as his dad's gaze met his own.

**x**

Naruto watched his oldest brother talking to the police. He couldn't hear a word they were saying, but he could see Pain nodding, worry and anger clearly on his face. Even then it wasn't his brother he was seeing. All he kept seeing was his dad. Shuddering at the image, Naruto shook his head and huddled closer into Sasuke's body as he sat on the back of an ambulance.

He had a few scrapes on his knees when he landed on the ground and a cut on his hand. There was a small bump on his head when he fell with his dad and bruises forming on his arm and around his neck, but he was otherwise unharmed. Looking at the spot his dad had been, Naruto almost gagged at the sight of blood left behind. He had hid his face in Pain's chest when they took his dad away, but even then he had felt them putting his dad in a bag and taking him.

"I'm here Naruto." Sasuke whispered, holding him closer on his lap as he kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry for everything...If I..."

"It wasn't your fault." Naruto said, his voice sounding hollow to his own ears. Would he ever get over the shock? He heard one of the paramedics telling Pain that's why he wasn't really responding to them. He also heard them tell his brother that it would be best to get him into therapy soon. "I made him angry."

"No, you didn't, Naruto." Sasuke answered firecly, forcing Naruto to meet his gaze. "You didn't do anything wrong. Your dad wasn't in his right mind. He needed help."

"If I went with him, this wouldn't have happened." Naruto whispered, his eyes wider then normal.

"No!" Sasuke snapped. "He could have done worse. He could have killed you instead. Naruto you did the right thing. Don't regret that."

"Okay." but Naruto didn't really believe that promise. He might never believe it. "Sasuke I want to go home."

"As soon as they let us, I'll take you home. I'm sure Deidara and Nagato want to make sure you're okay for themselves. Just a few more minutes. The police want to ask you a few more questions and then you, me, and Pain can go, okay?"

"Okay." Naruto nodded, unsure of what else to say or do, he simply sat in Sasuke's lap and watched the police walking around, taking pictures, and talking to people. Maybe he should have gone with his dad...maybe he should have left instead. His dad wanted to take them to his mom. Wanted them to be a happy family again. Now they'd never be happy and it was all his fault.

**x**

A few streets over, Kyuubi watched everything play out. He had found his dad too late, and Naruto got hurt over it. But he had done as he promised he'd do.

"Boss?" Shukaku asked, as he sat inside the waiting car.

"You know what to do." Kyuubi said, looking into the backseat of the car, the rifle sitting innocently in it's case. It was only a matter of time before the police realized that it wasn't one of their guns that took Minato out.

"Gotcha." Shukaku nodded, rolling up the window, leaving Kyuubi to try and figure out his emotions.


	14. Chapter 14

**14**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Naruto sat in the soft brown leather chair, his feet resting flat on the floor, and his hands limp in his lap. He heard the soft tick of the clock behind him, echoing as if someone had put it on a speaker. He heard the fish tank to his right just as loudly, each bubble coming from the pump in a peaceful cycle. It was meant to be calming, soothing, but Naruto found it nerve racking. He found everything nerve racking.

"Naruto?" the therapist called, her hands resting on the clipboard in her lap. "Naruto?"

"I'm okay." Naruto said softly, not looking at her as his eyes stayed glued to his shoes. Had it already been two weeks since his dad... since that day? The school had been closed down for three days before anyone was allowed back. Naruto hadn't gone back though. He didn't want to see or hear what anyone was saying. He didn't want anyone to pity him. He didn't want to talk to anyone.

Not even to Sasuke or his brothers. He just wanted everyone to leave him alone. He just wanted to sit in the silence and try to forget. But he never did. His nightmares always threw it back in his face, woke him up screaming and covered in sweat. In every nightmare, he saw his dad just looking at him, heard muffled crying and a woman demanding why. Naruto thought it was his mother, he wasn't sure. He didn't remember her voice.

Pain and Deidara had always come running when he started screaming. Nagato had tried to explain their dad's actions but Naruto didn't pay attention to what he was saying. It was all just muffled words to him. Pain had missed a few days of work, but life moved on even when their life didn't, and bills had to be paid.

"Alright," Miroku said calmly, keep her voice even and relaxed for the young teenager. She knew pushing anyone who had suffered such a tramatic event would only make it worse. "why don't you tell me about your new home? I heard from your brother that you guys are all moved in."

"Yeah." Naruto answered, knowing it was Deidara that told her. Even now Deidara was sitting out in the waiting room. Hoping like all the others that this session would be one step closer to healing him.

"How's your room? Do you like it?"

"It fits my stuff." Naruto answered, biting his lip. He had his own room. He didn't want to share with anyone. He didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him. He was tired of everyone suffering and not being able to save them.

"How's Chibi?" Miroku asked, changing the subject. When answers were hard to come by, use another method. Asking questions about his life, not involving what happened, was one solution she found helped eased her patients.

"Fine."

With a soft sigh, Miroku wrote down a few notes on her clipboard. There wasn't much change from Naruto's first visit, but she didn't expecting any so quickly. Most patients took months or years to overcome a painful memory.

"How's Sasuke?" she asked.

In answer, Naruto just shrugged. Not even bothering to answer her this time.

"Naruto," she said, reaching over to place a hand on his knee. Waiting for him to look at her, she said, "I know you're hurting and you're confused. But I want you to know that what happened wasn't your fault. That you aren't responsible for what happened. Nor are you responsible for your mother's death."

"My dad got buried yesterday, they still don't know who killed him." Naruto said, surprising her. "I went to the funeral. I said good-bye and everything. I told him good-bye." he whispered again.

"Narut-"

"Can I go? I don't feel so good." Naruto stopped her, his broken gaze pleading with her, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"We have twenty minutes-"

"Please, I just want to go home."

With a soft sigh, Miroku sat back in her seat. "Naruto, I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. That I'm here for whenever you need me and I won't judge you. I'm here to help you."

"Okay." Naruto nodded.

"I'll see you tomorrow at our normal time?"

"Okay." and just like that Naruto got up and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

"Naruto..." she said softly, looking at a picture of her own daughter. Shion was only fifteen in the picture. She would be twenty-eight now. Miroku knew exactly what Naruto was going through. She had seen death with her own eyes. Her own husband had crumbled to pieces with the weight of responsiblity. He had ended his life. His death had thrown her and Shion into a whirlwind of emotins. She had only focused on her own loss and hadn't even seen Shion's. She had been too late to stop her daughter from falling into the darkness, ending her life only a few months after, believing she was at fault. Miroku was a doctor and she failed her daughter. She hadn't been there when she was needed.

She had been too late to save her only child. She had been a mess afterwards, unable to move on. It had taken her three years to finally move on without aid. Taken her two more to get back on her feet. It took another three to before she was ready to come back to her office and help those before they could follow in Shion's footsteps.

It was the death of her own child and husband that had made her even more suitable to handle Naruto's case. It had taken her years to regain her barrings, but Miroku made it her life mission to help her patients with tramatic experiances, to choose life and a future instead of being stuck in their own hell. She wanted them to know that whatever happened wasn't their fault and they were innocent to all bad doing. In each patient she had seen Shion. With each one she promised to save the child before it was too late.

In every patient, she promised herself she'd save them. Even now she promised to save Naruto.

**x**

Naruto, sat in silence as Deidara drove him home, not even bothering to listen to his brother's words. How could his brother even be around him? He had gotten their dad killed. He should have just left with him. Gone when he asked. He shouldn't have cried and told him no. If he went with his dad, they'd be a happy family again.

When the car came to a stop, Naruto got quietly out of the car and walked up the front steps to their new home. Ignoring Chibi's happy barking at his feet, he walked tiredly up the stairs, passing Nagato's room, and closed the door to his own room behind him. The room was empty, save for his belongings and some boxes. He hadn't felt the need to unpack. Why would it matter if he did or didn't?

Falling onto the mattress, Naruto curled into himself and looked out the window. If he closed his eyes, he'd see it all again. He'd see the blood. See his dad's eyes. He'd see it and he wouldn't be able to stop.

**x**

"Deidara?" Nagato called when his younger brother paused just outside his room. Feeling Chibi climb back into his bed, Nagato rubbed his fingers over the dog's head. "How did it go?"

"He's home early," Deidara shrugged, moving to Nagato's bed, resting his head against his brother's shoulder. "He didn't even give me time to talk to the doctor. He just walked out of the building."

"She said it would take time."

"But it's not his fault." Deidara argued. "It's not his fault at all. I should have just talked to dad when he wanted to talk to me. I shouldn't have just walked off on him and told him to leave me alone. If I hadn't, Naruto wouldn't be like this."

"Tell me what dad said again." Nagato said, knowing word for word what Deidara told him a few times before, told the police, and investigaters.

"He told me that he needed me to go with him, that he had something to show me. He said he was sorry for what he did and he wanted to make up for it. He said he just wanted his family back, someone to love him again. He only wanted to talk in private."

"If you would have left with him, he could have killed you." Nagato said, hugging Deidara tightly against him. "He wanted you or Naruto, it didn't matter anymore. He just wanted someone to die with him so he wouldn't be alone." Nagato said, through his tears. "Deidara, I can't lose either of you two, Kyuubi, or Pain. Losing any of you... I don't want to imagine life without you guys in it. I'm glad you didn't go. I'm so happy you told him no."

"But Naruto-"

"Naruto's alive. Someone was looking out for him and because of that, we still have our baby brother. Teachers and students were there, Kakashi was there. If you would have gone off with him, you could have died. Don't blame yourself for this. Neither you nor Naruto are at fault."

"Maybe I could have talked sense into him. I could have tried."

"You would have died. That's all he wanted to do." Nagato said. "He wanted to go back to mom but he didn't want to go alone. I didn't need Doctor Miroku or a cop telling me this, I knew it already. Ever sense mom passed away, all dad wanted to do was get her back."

"What do we do with Naruto?"

"I don't know."

**x**

Itachi leaned against Sasuke's open doorway, watching his brother sitting on his bed, head resting in his hand. "Hey, Deidara," Sasuke said into the phone, making Itachi's own heart clench. He hadn't seen Deidara for five days now. His lover had told him he needed time to think and be with his family. It was clearly said that he didn't want Itachi there without it being said at all. Itachi had wanted to protest, but instead, he had followed his lover's words and stayed away. It was killing him knowing Deidara was suffering and he couldn't do anything to help him. "Is Naruto...can I... I understand. Can you tell him to call... if he can... tell him...okay thank you." Sasuke finished, hanging up the phone.

Moving to sit beside Sasuke, Itachi waited for his brother to speak.

"Is it so bad that I want to check up on him? That I want to make sure he's okay?"

"I know what you mean." Itachi said, wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulder. "Give it a few more days."

"And after that?"

"After that, I'm going to show Deidara that I'm there for him too." Itachi said. Deciding to change the subject, Itachi asked how school was going, getting a shrug in answer and little else. "Are you hungry?"

"No,"

"Come eat anyway." Itachi said, standing up and pulling Sasuke with him.

"When our parents passed, did we close up like this too?" Sasuke asked.

"...you did. You didn't want anyone near you. You just wanted to be left alone." Itachi answered. "For years, even Neji couldn't get you to do anything. You were like a robot, refusing to smile as you went about the day until it was over, only to start again."

"What changed me?" Sasuke said, unable to remember that time. It was foggy at most, to be honest. To think that he had been in a place as broken as Naruto seemed to be in...

"Naruto came into your life." Itachi answered.

**x**

Kyuubi looked at the brand new house his brothers now lived within. He was happy they had left their deathtrap. Happy that they would be safer. He wanted to go in there so badly, but for some reason he couldn't force himself to take the first step.

His mind just kept throwing his past into his face. His hands were filled with blood. His life dealt and moved around the black market, drugs, hate. He wasn't the brother from before. That had dreams and a future for his family. He couldn't even remember what he wanted to be back in the day.

Looking down at his hands, he sqeezed them into fist. He had killed his father. His dad was dead by his hands. Bowing his head, he tried to understand what he was feeling. Tried to make sense of what was happening inside of him.

"Kyuubi?" he heard someone say as they stood in front of him, watching him.

Lifting his tired gaze, Kyuubi looked at Pain. His brother had aged a lot over the years. How had he never noticed? How had he never noticed the tow life took on Pain. Pain had done everything to make sure they had food and shelter. He had given up his life for them, and Kyuubi had thrown it back in his face. Kyuubi had helped put those lines on a face too young to carry them. When Kyuubi had become a teenager, he had screwed up and continued to do so. He believed that life wasn't being fair so he got to do it too. He had hurt all of his brothers. Now with the new blood on his hands, he'd only hurt them again. He was tired of being the bastard that fucked up. He was tired of everything. He wanted his family back. He had enough money saved to help Nagato. He had enough money for Pain to stop working all the damn time. He had enough money to put Deidara in a decent college. He had enough money for Naruto to go to college. He was tired of running, tired of hiding. He just wanted to stop. He wanted to be a kid again. Wanted to have a home.

He wanted his mom to tease him about his dream. Wanted his dad to throw...football. That was his dream. His dream was to be in the NFL. To be known and cheered for. He was going to be someone great, he told his mom countless times he was going to be amazing...

He told her his plan, his future, a lie.

It was only as Pain pulled him into his arms that Kyuubi held back just as tightly, that he cried for the first time in years for the family that he lost. "I'm sorry." he sobbed into Pain's shoulder, the words barely making sense. He was so sorry for everything. So sorry for fucking up. So sorry for hurting them. So sorry for not being there when he was needed.

"I got you, little brother." Pain whispered into his ear, holding him close. "Whatever happens, I've got you."


End file.
